Wildest Dreams
by Shoshanna33
Summary: When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters here. I just use them for my own amusement. JK Rowling and co. own them No copyright infringement intended.

 **Summary:** When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.

 **Author's note:** Lyrics by Taylor Swift.

 **Wildest Dreams**

 _He said let's get out of this town  
Drive out of the city  
Away from the crowds  
I thought heaven can't help me now  
Nothing lasts forever  
But this is gonna take me down  
He's so tall, and handsome as hell  
He's so bad but he does it so well_

Hermione sat at her desk inside the Ministry poring over her case files for an upcoming trial. Her newest trainee was busy filing in the corner of her office and she tried not to look at him. He'd been working there almost a week now but they'd said barely three words to each other that weren't absolutely necessary. Hermione had never felt more awkward in her life. Mostly because her trainee was no stranger to her. He was Draco Malfoy. She hadn't seen or heard of him really since right after the war when he and his family had been on trial themselves. But they were let go because it was deemed they were coerced into helping Voldemort. And after that, Hermione hadn't given Draco much thought. She assumed he went on with his high society life and sat in his manor with his father and counted their money. So imagine her surprise when her boss told her that her new assistant was none other than Draco Malfoy. Why would he even need or want a lowly job like this, she wondered. But she didn't have the guts to actually ask him. For his part, he did everything she asked him to do and didn't outwardly complain. In fact, he tried really hard not to say a word and just get through a day. But on the inside he was upset to be there at all. He didn't think he needed the job. And he certainly didn't want to be working for Granger. That was the ultimate nightmare. Mostly because he knew he'd been an utter prat to her their whole lives. He couldn't believe she didn't have him scrubbing toilets with a toothbrush, except that did fall outside the realm of his job description.

But she was unbelievably quiet around him. She'd bark a few orders at him, and then sit at her desk in silence with nothing but the sound of papers shuffling to fill his ears. It was maddening. He wished she'd just talk to him. Even if to say how much she hated him. But he didn't hate her anymore. He felt somewhat grateful to her and Potter for what they'd done in stopping Voldemort. It was something he couldn't do himself, so he was relieved they were up to the task. But they were hero types, unlike him, so it wasn't a big surprise. However it seemed obvious that she would rather die than give him the time of day. He wished it were different. And that's what he was thinking as he stood with a file in his hands and just started at Hermione for a moment. He was lost in thought and didn't realize what he was doing until she looked up at him.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked with some slight annoyance in her voice.

"No, it's fine. I was just lost in thought. You know, filing is rather dull," he admitted, looking away from her.

"Well I'd like to say it gets better, but that's why I have an assistant. So I don't have to take the time to file," she said with a sigh.

"Isn't there anything else I could do?" he wondered to her.

"Yes, you could get me a cup of coffee. That would be splendid," she said, holding out her empty mug.

"Coffee? Now I'm fetching you coffee? I feel like a house elf," he grumbled as he snatched the cup out of her hand and exited the office towards the break room.

He didn't understand why she was so cold to him. Or maybe rather, he didn't want to remember why she would be so cold to him. He knew why, he supposed. It just seemed like a lifetime ago when he was calling her names. He'd changed. And he didn't much care anymore who her parents were or whether or not her blood was pure. But he didn't dare try and bring it up and make nice with her. He was too afraid she'd shoot him down and not accept his apologies. So he remained silent and just got her coffee. Only he didn't know how she liked to drink it. So he grabbed up creamer and sugar packets and shoved them in his pockets. Then he trudged back to the office. He sat the coffee cup down and dumped the sugar and creamer packets on her desk.

"I don't know how to make your coffee so you can do it yourself," he said softly.

"I like two cream, two sugars. Just so you'll know for next time," she said coolly, opening up the sugar and dumping it in her drink.

"Right. For next time. So do I ever get to do anything important? Fetching coffee wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I asked for something different to do," he told her with a sigh.

"You're still learning the ropes. So I'm afraid this is all there is to it for now. Perhaps at a later date I'll show you how to set a trial in order. But that's far too complicated right now," she told him stuffily.

"Complicated? You do realize I'm not daft. I was right up at the top of our class with you in school, so I'm not some imbecile who can't understand things," he complained boldly.

"Malfoy, you just do as I say for now, alright? I don't have time to teach you how to do what I do right now. Just be quiet and keep filing," she said with exasperation.

"Fine. Whatever. Don't think I don't realize why you're doing this," he said somewhat under his breath, but she heard him.

"Doing what?"

"Treating me like garbage. I know you hate me. But I'm not your enemy anymore."

"I didn't think you were my enemy. And I never said I hated you. I'm indifferent. I'm not treating you any differently than I'd treat any other trainee," she informed him.

"But see, you can't be indifferent. We have a history. And it's not all that glowing. I'd wager you'd at least speak to another person and not just ignore them," he shot back.

She sighed and ran her hands through her hair.

"What do you want me to say, Malfoy? It's weird having you here. I-I don't know what you want me to say," she admitted uneasily.

"What's so weird about it? I'm just here to do a job like everyone else," he pointed out.

"Why do you even need this job anyway? Where have you been the last three years?" she asked finally.

"My father wants me to have a respectable job. I've been in hiding basically for the last three years. I got my own place and lived off my trust fund. But my father says it's time for me to stop gallivanting around without a care in the world. So that's why I'm here," he explained, relieved to be able to explain himself and not have her just avoid speaking to him.

"Well I hope you enjoyed your time off. Because now that you're employed here, this is what the job entails. Like it or leave it," she told him, as she picked up another case file absently and pretended to look at it.

He was hoping for a better dialogue to happen, but it was clear she wanted nothing to do with him. So he just sighed and picked up a file too.

"Fine. I'll file. And keep my mouth shut. It's not like I really wanted to talk to you in the first place," he muttered.

She tossed her file down and looked at him.

"If you don't want to talk to me, then why are you talking to me? I thought things were fine when they were silent. What would we talk about anyway?" she asked him pointedly.

"I don't know. Anything. I know nothing about you really. What have you been up to, besides working here, that is?" he asked her curiously.

"You wanna know what I've been doing? Why? We're not friends. We'll never be friends," she said giving him a look.

"Why can't we be friends?"

"Because you're the one who hated me. Why do you want to be my friend?"

"I don't hate you. I've changed. None of that stupid stuff I used to say even matters anymore," he said vehemently.

"It doesn't matter? To you, maybe. But to me it still matters. You used to call me names any chance you got. Am I just supposed to forget that now because you've supposedly changed?" she wanted to know.

"Look, you don't have to believe me. I'll just prove it to you somehow. Like keeping my head down and doing as you say. I'll even fetch your bloody coffee without a word. You'll see I've changed," he told her.

"You don't have to prove anything to me. I don't care," she said with exasperation.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Great."

"Yes, it is great. Now get back to work," she said finally, ending their little standoff.

She just shook her head and didn't understand why Draco Malfoy would want to be her friend now. She was still just a filthy little mudblood to him. She was sure of it. Any pretense of friendship was simply for show because he was a fish out of water and it was her pond. He only wanted to make nice so she'd stop giving him shit work to do. That had to be his ulterior motive because she refused to believe he actually had changed. That'll be the day. People like him never changed. Especially since he was obviously still following Daddy's orders if that was the entire reason he had the job in the first place. She just couldn't let her guard down around him. Because that's when she knew he'd probably say or do something unforgivable again. No, she wasn't going to let him get to her. She'd just keep piling on grunt work until maybe he got bored enough to actually quit. That would make her life complete.

The next morning she arrived and found that Draco was already there. He was sitting at his own little desk with a bagel in his hand and a cup of coffee. When she looked at her desk she saw another bagel sitting there waiting for her, along with her cup of coffee just the way she liked it. She looked at him curiously.

"What's this?" she asked suspiciously.

"It's a bloody bagel. What does it look like? I figured you might be hungry since you never eat breakfast. You should have something more than just coffee," he told her with a mouthful of his own bagel.

"How do you know I never eat breakfast?" she wondered with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

"I just know. Am I wrong? You don't have to eat the bagel, but it's not poisoned or anything," he informed her.

She put her briefcase down and sat at her desk. She was famished honestly. She never did have time for breakfast. But she still didn't know how he knew that. Did she look starved all the time? Perhaps. Maybe it was the way she'd sneak bites of her lunch when she thought no one was looking because she was so hungry before lunch time came? She picked up the bagel and took a bite. It was heavenly. Just the right amount of cream cheese too. She took a sip of her coffee and noted it was still hot so it hadn't been sitting there forever. She looked over at Draco.

"Thank you," she said simply, not wanting to make a big deal of it.

"You're welcome." He sat back smugly in his chair. Who knew that a bagel would be such a nice peace offering? But at least she was eating it instead of tossing it in a bin.

"So really, how did you know I'd be hungry?" she asked him finally, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Because I can sometimes hear your stomach growl when we're sitting in here in silence. I figured you must not eat before you get here. And apparently I was right," he smiled at her.

"You can hear my stomach growl? That's embarrassing," she admitted, feeling her face turning pink.

"It wouldn't kill you to have a radio in here or something. If we're not gonna talk, at least there needs to be some music to get through the day without me listening to your stomach make noises," he said with a smirk.

"A radio? I never thought to have one. But I suppose I could do that. A lot of offices have music in the background, right?" she said, mostly to herself.

"I'll even bring one. How's that?" he offered.

"Alright. Thanks."

"Finish your bagel. You have a meeting in exactly twelve minutes. And don't worry, I organized the case files for you and put them right there on your desk. Everything you need is right there," he said proudly.

"Thank you. Again. Since when did you become so efficient?" she asked with a slight smile.

"Well this job is boring as shit, but I'm stuck here. So I'm trying to make the most of it," he explained.

"Yes, well, I do hope you learn to like it a little bit," she said in a small voice.

"I'm sure I will. After all I took it upon myself to organize your files for the meeting. It was better than what I normally do. I'm trying to show you I can be more useful than just an errand boy," he told her.

"Nice work. I suppose I should head off to my meeting though. I like to be early," she said taking another bite of her bagel before scooping up her files and heading for the door.

"See you later," Draco waved after her.

She didn't know what to do or say so she just smiled at him. Then she walked away shaking her head. This new Draco was going to take some getting used to. Bringing her bagels and organizing her files for a meeting when he didn't have to, was very strange. But she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. She just went to her meeting and presented her case files and discussed them and tried not to notice that Draco had drawn doodles on a post it note and stuck inside one of the files. He had drawn a picture of a stick figure man buried under a mountain of paperwork. He had x's for eyes and his tongue was hanging out of his mouth like he was crushed to death. And Draco had written, "this is me, boss" in his scribbly handwriting. She couldn't help but laugh slightly which was totally inappropriate for the meeting and they wondered if she'd lost it.

"Is something funny?" one of the men asked her.

"No, I'm sorry. Just nervous laughter. Forgive me," she said feeling stupid.

She tried to compose herself and go on with the meeting, but it was hard for her for some reason. She was highly amused especially when her next case file had a doodle of a stick figure lying in a casket with a girl stick figure with incredibly bushy hair laughing at the death scene. Draco had outdone himself. She could tell the stick figure was her and it had a little thought bubble that said, "hahaha!" She closed up the files and sat back down and tried not to laugh. Normally these meetings were super boring and not a place you'd get the giggles, but Draco was kind of a funny, she had to admit. Once the meeting was over she collected her things and went back to the office. She pulled out the drawings and intended to confront him about them. But when she walked in she heard music playing softly and Draco was hard at work filing again.

"You got a radio already?" she asked with some confusion.

"Oh yeah. Sorry. I popped back to my place on my break to grab it. I wasn't gone but twenty minutes. I realize my break is only fifteen, so I'll make it up at the end of the day if you want," he said dutifully.

"No, that's fine," she said shaking her head as she walked to her desk and put her files down. Then she walked over to his desk and put the sticky notes on his desk. "What on earth were these doing in the case files?" she asked with amusement.

"Oh, you like them? That's my artwork. I'm brilliantly gifted at stick figures," he smiled at her.

"They are ridiculous. And my hair does not look that big!" she said holding up the offending picture.

He laughed and shook his head.

"Maybe it's not quite _that_ big, but it's close. I just thought you'd get a laugh maybe. You need to laugh more," he told her.

"I did get a laugh. Right in the middle of a serious meeting! I looked like a buffoon, thanks to you," she said with a pouty lip.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you embarrass yourself, but you need to lighten up a bit."

"Why?"

"Because why are you so morose all the time? Is it because I'm here or what?" he wondered.

"No, it's not because of you. I just don't tend to burst into laughter or crack jokes when I'm working. I'm a professional," she said seriously.

"Well work kind of sucks, so the least you could do is smile once in a while. There's no harm in that."

"I don't usually have a lot to smile about," she admitted quietly as she sat back down at her desk.

"Oh, now we're talking. Your life sucks eh? Tell me about it," he said eagerly, dying to hear something personal about her.

"I'm not telling you about it. Why would I do that?" she scoffed, trying to get back into work mode, unsure why she let it slip that her life was less than perfect.

"Come on. I'll tell you more about my life, if you tell me about yours," he offered.

"Malfoy, my life is my private business. And I'm your boss," she reminded him.

"So? We're just people in the end. And I'm curious about you," he said trying to get her to open up.

"What do you want to know?" she sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"Any special man in your life?" he asked.

"Next question," she refused to answer.

"I'll take that as a no then. What ever happened to Weaslebee? I thought you two were thick as thieves. Meant to be, or some such shit?" he said going off what he read in the papers after the war.

"His name is Ron and we just didn't work out. Not that it's any business of yours," she added, trying not to feel highly uncomfortable by his intrusion into her personal life.

"Maybe it's not my business but I was curious," he informed her.

"Why?"

"Because. If you weren't single, I'd say you probably should be given how miserable you seem. But now that I know you're unattached, I get why you look that way all the time," he shrugged.

"Excuse me, but look like _what_?" she asked haughtily.

"Like you never have any fun," he said plainly.

"I do have fun! Lots of fun. Just not at work. You wouldn't know," she said defensively.

"So then you wanna get a drink after work? God knows I could use one. And if you like to have fun, you'll say yes," he smiled at her smugly.

"If I say no, it doesn't mean I don't like to have fun. It means maybe I have other plans?" she offered, trying not to let him get to her. He was saying a lot of true things she didn't want to admit. And she didn't have other plans, but he didn't have to know that.

"What other plans do you have?" he challenged her.

"Just plans! Why would you want to have a drink with me anyway?" she asked flustered by his boldness.

"I just thought it might be nice for us to get away from this place and then you can show me how you like to have fun. Otherwise I'll just keep thinking you do nothing with your spare time except play with your cat and drink wine alone on your couch."

"How do you know I have a cat?" she asked weakly.

"The fur on your clothes."

"Well I don't drink wine alone on my couch. Maybe I have a date already?"

"Do you?"

She was silent for a bit and then she just sighed.

"Alright, so no, I don't. But I could! I could have loads of dates and it's none of your business."

"So then you don't have plans tonight?"

"No, I don't," she admitted softly.

"Great. So then we can get a drink after all. We'll get to know each other better, so then maybe I won't feel like I'm being tortured in a Chinese prison when I come to work," he told her happily.

"It's not that bad here, is it?" she wondered.

"Feels like it sometimes. But it doesn't have to be that way. It's already better now that we're talking. Don't you think?" he offered.

"It's weird, is what it is. But fine. Okay. One little drink. It is Friday night after all," she relented against her better judgment.

"That's the spirit. Knew I could talk you into it," he grinned.

"Don't look so smug. It's one drink. It doesn't mean I'm going to bare my soul to you," she reminded him.

Only she wondered if that were true or not. Something about Draco made her feel like baring her soul. She had no idea why. It was just the way he spoke to her and was so cocky, like he already knew everything anyway. She couldn't seem to pull a fast one on him because he was so damn perceptive. But she wasn't going to let herself get out of hand. It was one drink. And she'd drink it quickly and be home in time to watch her favorite show on the telly. At least that's what she kept telling herself.

Once it was quitting time, they got their things together and Draco said he'd pick the bar. She thought they'd go to the Leaky Cauldron, but he had other ideas. He knew of a place in the city where they had games like pool and darts and a jukebox. It was a dive, admittedly, but Draco liked going there because no one knew who he was. He could just be another face in the crowd instead of a Malfoy. That's how he'd been living his life the last few years, trying to distance himself from his family and their name and everything they stood for. But when his father threatened to take the money away if he didn't get a job, he was forced to comply. He couldn't be without his money. But he still wanted to distance himself from that life as much as possible. So that's why he took Hermione to his favorite bar. She looked at it with some distaste and realized they were far too dressed up for such an establishment.

"We don't exactly fit in here," she noted as she put her briefcase down next to her as they sat at an empty table.

"Sure we do. Just because everyone else is in jeans doesn't mean we don't belong. That's the beauty of this place. No one cares what you look like or who you are," he explained.

"It's kind of a dive. I never would have imagined this is where you'd wanna go," she noted, wondering if they had a menu of drinks or appetizers at least.

"You'll grow to love it. Trust me. And if you're looking for something to eat, the hot wings are excellent," he told her with a grin.

"Okay seriously, are you reading my mind? Because you're always saying what I'm thinking. It's off putting," she said giving him a glare.

"I just read people well. And you looked hungry again. Plus I know you're hell bent on not getting too drunk, so you'd wanna eat first. You're really not that complicated to figure out," he shrugged.

"Well stop figuring me out. I don't like it," she said with annoyance. "But I will take those hot wings if there's a waitress."

He signaled for someone to come to their table and they placed their orders for hot wings and a glass of red wine and a beer for him. They sat in silence sipping their drinks while waiting for the food to arrive. Draco had a lot more observations about her he'd like to make, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. It was a miracle she was sitting with him at all and he didn't want to ruin it. But finally he spoke because silence drove him batty.

"So, red wine eh? I knew it. I knew that's what you liked to drink," he noted.

"So? Lots of people like red wine," she shrugged.

"You don't look like you're having fun though. I thought you said that you were a laugh riot outside of work," he pointed out.

"I never said that. But I do have fun! It's just this isn't fun to me. I don't know why I even said yes to this weird date. I don't even like you," she told him plainly.

"Ouch. Okay. Well have you ever played darts? That's fun. And maybe you'll beat me and you can gloat. That's bound to give you a happy," he offered.

"I'm pretty good at darts. My father taught me. I wouldn't mind gloating over a win," she said with a small grin.

"Perfect. Darts it is."

They got up from the table and Draco got the darts off the board and handed them to her. She took her turn and did very well, but never got a bullseye. Draco went next and hit the bullseye straight off. And he kept hitting it until all his darts were gone. He smiled at her.

"Looks like I won that one."

"You're a cheat. You made it seem like you weren't that good at this," she pouted.

"I never said I wasn't good. I just say maybe you'd beat me? But no such luck. Shall we go again?"

"No. Our food is at the table now and I don't want it getting cold," she said looking at the hot wings that were calling her name.

They went back to the table and sat down. They dug into the pub food and Hermione tried to eat the wings as daintily as possible, but there was no way to shove chicken wings in your mouth without making a mess. She had sauce all over her fingers and her lips.

"Okay, I feel like a pig here," she laughed slightly.

"Nah, you're fine. No one looks elegant eating wings," he laughed back, as he reached over and wiped her face with his napkin.

She was taken aback at his touch but tried not to show it. She wasn't used to him being nice, or being with him at all. This whole experience was surreal to her. She didn't quite know what she was doing.

"So where are you real friends tonight, Granger?" he asked, licking his fingers of the chicken wing residue.

"My _real_ friends?"

"Yes. Potter and whoever else you usually hang out with. I'm assuming you're still friends with him right?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, Harry and I are still friends. But he's probably with Ginny. They're sort of joined at the hip most of the time. Do you remember her?" she wondered as she took a sip of her wine.

"Sure. Red hair, bit of a temper? She's a Weasley right?"

"That would be Ginny, yes."

"So they're an item eh?"

"Yes, quite a lot. I don't get to see Harry a lot because his work keeps him busy. And then his downtime is usually spent with her. But that's alright. When we do see each other, it's great," she said trying to convince both of them that her life wasn't sad and empty.

But as usual, Draco seemed to see right through it.

"I think it's right gloomy that you're the third wheel. I bet it was different when you were with the Weasel right?" he asked her pointedly.

She was momentarily flummoxed and at a loss for words. How was he reading her so well? It was unnerving.

"You really need to stop with the legilimency or whatever you're doing. How do you know so much about me? I'm serious. Just stop," she held up her hand.

He laughed and shook his head.

"I'm not using legilimency, I swear it. I just know how people tick. I'm a people watcher. I have a good intuition," he shrugged.

"Well stop using it on me. I don't like that you know things without me telling you. It's creepy," she shuddered.

"I can't help it. But I'll try and let you answer the questions before I just tell you the answer. Okay?"

"Okay. That would be nice."

"So then was it different before when you could double date and what not?" he asked, restating his observation.

"Sure it was different then. But that doesn't matter anymore because Ron and I are over. We've been over. What about you? Do you have a girl?" she asked. It was her turn to ask nosy questions.

"Nope. I'm all lone wolfy. My parents keep talking about setting me up with someone to marry, but I keep dodging that bullet. I'd rather pick my own wife, thank you," he said shaking his head.

"That would be super weird if they picked someone for you to marry. I didn't think people actually still had arranged marriages in this country," she noted.

"Tell that to my father. He thinks it's still the Dark Ages. But I got the stupid job like he asked me to do, so I wager he'll shut up about marrying me off for a while. At least I'm doing one thing he asked. For a time, I was sort of wild," he admitted.

"Wild huh? Like how so?" she was curious and couldn't imagine stuffy Draco doing anything wild at all.

"Well I did a lot of dumb things. Like drinking too much with Muggles. Bars like this were my home and I fit right in. Plus I shagged a lot of girls that my father would die if he knew about. They were all Muggles too. I sort of tried to blend in with them and hide. I had a rough go of things for a while, but I know you don't wanna hear about my woes," he added downing the rest of his beer and signaling the waitress to bring another.

"You shagged Muggles? Now that is weird. And wild. What on earth would possess an elitist pureblood snob like yourself to lower yourself that far," she was astonished.

"I don't care about blood purity anymore. I honestly never really did. That was my father's thing. And he still cares. But what difference does it really make? Voldemort wanted the world to be nothing but magical people and kill everyone else. Even the Muggleborn witches like you. And in the end, it doesn't make any fucking sense really. We're all just people. People trying to live a life. That's all I wanted to do after the war. Live. For way too long I didn't think I was going to live at all, and if I did, it would be in a world I couldn't stand. But when everything turned out the way it did, I just wanted to escape. I had to get out of my parents' house. They're stifling. You have no idea," he added taking a long swig of his beer.

"I lost my parents," she admitted quietly as she finished her own drink.

"Did Voldemort kill them?"

"No. I obliviated them and implanted false memories of a life where they never had a daughter. Then I sent them to Australia. They have no idea who I am. I tried to get them back and undo the spell but it couldn't be done. I wrecked everything really. You should be thankful you still have your folks. Even if they kind of suck," she told him.

"Now that I wouldn't guess about you. I had no clue you did something so crazy. Why did you do that anyway? To protect them? There are better ways," he said honestly.

"I didn't know of a better way at the time. I thought I was doing the right thing."

"You could have just shipped them off without ruining their memories."

"Yeah, but I didn't want them to miss me in case I died," she said softly, looking away from him.

"Oh. Now I kind of get it. I'm sorry, Hermione," he said sincerely.

"You just called me Hermione. That sounds weird," she laughed slightly.

"It's your name, isn't it?" he laughed right back.

"Yeah, but you never have ever called me by my name. You always called me Granger."

"And you've always called me Malfoy. But you don't have to. You can call me Draco."

"I-I'm not sure I want to," she said shaking her head.

"Why not? You don't like my name?" he wondered.

"No, the name is fine. But then it'll seem like we really are friends or something. And we're not. I don't even know why I'm here with you tonight," she stammered awkwardly.

"You're here because you had nothing better to do. You don't have to make it a thing. I know you don't like me," he said with a tinge of disappointment in his voice as he sipped more of his beer.

"I could have still said no. I guess I just wondered what it'd be like to spend the evening with you."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I don't know the answer to that question," she admitted with a laugh. "You're just sort of a mystery to me. Maybe I thought I'd get some answers if I went out with you?"

"What kind of answers are you looking for? I'm sort of an open book. Ask me anything," he offered holding his arms open wide to welcome her questions.

"Why me? Why tonight? Why not just go alone?" she shot back quickly.

"Good question. I do not know the answer to that either. I suppose I just wanted to see what an evening with you would be like too?" he echoed her earlier sentiments about him.

"So then neither of us really knows what the hell we're doing here right?" she chuckled softly.

"Not entirely, no."

"I need another drink," she said after a long pause where they both just stared at each other uncomfortably.

They called over the waitress and he ordered another beer and she another glass of wine. Then they just sat in silence for a bit. Neither of them knowing exactly what to say. Finally when the drinks arrived, Draco spoke again.

"So do you want to play pool?" he offered her just to have something to say.

"Are you as good at pool as you are at darts?" she asked with a grin.

"I'm not bad. I'm not saying I'm good, but I've been known to win a few times."

"You're going to wipe the floor with me, aren't you?"

"Probably."

"Fine, let's play," she said getting up from the table and walking over to the pool area.

They got their game set up and played for a while until Draco did inevitably win. But it was a close game. And Hermione found herself having a lot of fun with him. They'd give each other shit and try to knock each other's shots to hell. But they were laughing the entire time. When Draco won, Hermione threw her pool cue down and cursed under her breath.

"Damn it! You stupid fucker!" she muttered.

"What did you just say?" he laughed at her crude language because he was surprised she knew words like that.

"You heard me. You fucker. I can't believe I lost!" she pouted about it.

"I didn't know you knew how to swear," he chuckled.

"Of course I do. I'm not eleven anymore, in case you hadn't noticed. Plus I went out with Ron and his mouth will scare the sailors away. I learned a lot of bad words from him," she said with a goofy smile as she was starting to feel slightly tipsy from her wine.

"Well good, then I can swear in front of you and not worry about it. I was policing my mouth somewhat. But I learned to talk like a Muggle spending all my time in dives like this. It's hard to go back to being a proper gentlemen. I wish I could see my father's face when I drop an F-bomb in his direction but I don't have the stones to do it. I pretend to be a very good boy around him. If only he knew."

"I would love to be a fly on the wall when you called your dad a name he deserves."

"Yeah like a motherfucking racist snob?" Draco laughed.

"Exactly! That's what I was thinking to call him," she giggled back at him.

"If only."

"I'd call him that if I saw him again. He can't take my money away from me."

"True. Although I'd hate to subject you to him. I know he's probably one of your least favorite people."

"Definitely up there in the top five, yeah. You used to make the list too," she informed him.

"I did? How am I ranking now? Still up there?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I think you're sort of okay, Malfoy. I had a good time tonight," she confessed feeling surprised.

"I had a good time too," he nodded his head in agreement.

And for a minute they both just stood there together staring into each other's eyes. It was the most uncomfortable moment, but at the same time, neither of them could look away. But finally Hermione averted her eyes and looked at her shoes. She didn't know what was happening between them or why she'd even gone out with him to begin with. But she meant what she said. She kind of sort of liked him a little. He was nothing like she remembered. And for his part, he found himself just wanting to be in Hermione's company. She was pretty and amusing to him. Especially when she was swearing, because he'd never seen that side to her. And he liked it. She was always so untouchable to him, but now she was feeling a little more human. They weren't so different after all really. And they both realized that as they stood there in the bar not saying a word. They just knew they both had fun. And maybe they'd even do it again? Stranger things have happened.

 **To be continued…. Please leave feedback! I love reviews! They keep me writing faster….**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters here. I just use them for my own amusement. JK Rowling and co. own them No copyright infringement intended.

 **Summary:** When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.

 **Author's note:** Lyrics by Taylor Swift

 **Wildest Dreams**

 _I said no one has to know what we do  
His hands are in my hair, his clothes are in my room  
And his voice is a familiar sound, nothing lasts forever  
But this is getting good now_

When Monday morning came, Hermione found herself nervous to see Draco again. Nothing had happened at the bar, except they'd had a really fun time. But it was so weird for her to think of having fun with him. It was against all laws of God and man. And yet she found herself enjoying his company immensely. Maybe it was because it was the first time she'd been out in a long time with someone other than Harry and Ginny? They were fun, granted. But they were also all over each other, which made her feel like she didn't belong with them. With Draco, he was focused solely on her and getting to know her, and she wasn't sure what to think. But she liked it. She had no idea what he'd thought of the evening though, other than he admitted it was fun for him too. But it probably wouldn't happen again. They'd probably go back to being co-workers who barely talked. And for some reason that saddened her. She didn't really want it to be like that. But she was going to follow his cues and just sit back and see what happened. But she was acutely aware of how she was dressed today and wondered if she looked frumpy. But she didn't have much time to ponder it as she was already running late and needed to get inside her office.

She walked in and found Draco there with more bagels and coffee and a very large grin on his face.

"Good morning, boss," he said cheerfully.

"Good morning."

"I got you another bagel. This time a blueberry one. I figured you needed to live on the wild side a bit," he teased her.

"Thanks. I actually love blueberry. Why am I not surprised you probably already guessed that?" she said with a wry little smile.

"I actually didn't know that. I went out on a limb. But I'm glad you like it. Dig in. We have a busy day today. Four trials are coming up and I put the case files in your box for you," he said quickly.

"Wow. You did all that already? It's only just now ten after eight. How long have you been here?" she wondered as she sat her briefcase down and got into her chair.

"I was here a little early. I wanted to have it all ready for you because I know sometimes you're scrambling at the last minute. See, I'm very useful aren't I?" he asked with a grin on his face.

"You are pretty useful. But am I to find little stick figures drawn inside the files again?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

He laughed and shook his head.

"No, but I could do that if you wanted me to?"

"That's okay. But I have to admit it was funny when you did do that," she said with a small smile.

"I aim to please. Now what else would you like me to do right now? I finished all the filing," he noted the empty box sitting at his feet.

"I have memos to be filled out, but let me eat this bagel because it's calling my name," she said picking it up and taking a bite.

Once again it was perfect. Draco really knew how to fix up a bagel. And her coffee was just right too. She'd never had an assistant who did these sorts of things and seemed so happy about it. She wasn't too sure Draco was going to work out at first because he seemed so bored. But apparently he didn't mind being the bagel boy and he was efficient at putting her case files together without having to be asked. It was a pleasant surprise.

Draco found himself not really caring how boring the job was anymore. He was trying to make it more interesting for himself. But it was mostly the company he kept that made him happy. He never would have dreamt he'd like Hermione Granger, especially as his boss. But she really wasn't so bad once you got to know her. It was just getting her to let her guard down that was the chore. She was so proper and professional inside the office that he longed for her company outside the office when she could let her hair down. But he wasn't so sure he'd get to have that opportunity again. But he was certainly going to try.

After Hermione finished her breakfast, she dictated some memos to Draco and he sent them off flying through the building to their intended recipients. But then Hermione had another meeting to attend so he was left to his own devices in the office. He decided the place needed sprucing up. There were no photos and no plants. It was just a drab space, made only slightly better by his addition of a radio. He knew he couldn't possibly break into her house and steal her photos, so he decided to draw some as a laugh. He drew a picture of a cat and a picture of Hermione with Harry, adding Harry's scar to the stick figure along with his glasses. Then he set the pictures up around the room. He even made one of the two of them holding hands. He knew it was a bold gesture, but they were just stick figures after all. Then he decided to use his break time to go buy plants. He arrived back with an armload of house plants and placed them all around the dim office and it immediately brightened things up. He sat back and admired his handiwork, when Hermione came walking in looking harried from the meeting. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw all the plants.

"What's this?" she asked with extreme confusion.

"Plants. You needed some life in this office. And you also needed pictures. I obviously don't know where you live nor was I going to break into your house to steal pictures, so I improvised," he smiled pointing to his drawings.

She took one look at them and started laughing. Especially the one with Harry. But she was puzzled by the one of her and Draco.

"Who am I holding hands with here?" she asked, needing clarification.

"Oh that's me. Not that you'd hold my hand, but maybe one day?" he added feeling a little silly for including that drawing.

"Oh. Well it's funny. I'll hand you that. You and your drawings. Is this really all you did while I was gone? Spruce up the place?" She deliberately avoided answering his ponderings about one day having that picture come true. She didn't know where that idea even came from.

"I had nothing else to do. Do you like it?"

"I do like it. And I will bring some real photos if it'll make you happy. You could bring some too if you wanted," she offered trying to be nice.

He shrugged.

"I don't have any pictures I want to display really. It's not like I want my family portrait hung on the wall. And I don't have a pet or a best friend or a girlfriend. So it's pretty much gonna be a picture of a waterfall or something if I contribute to the pictures," he explained.

"You don't have a best friend? I thought you had loads of friends in school," she pointed out.

"Nah, not really. I had followers. And once my family's name was tarnished, no one wanted to follow me anymore. Which suited me just fine because they were all pricks like I used to be anyway," he admitted.

"Well you can bring a picture of whatever you like. I guess I never thought about decorating this space," she said with a sigh as she looked around at the changes.

"I don't know why. You spend most of your time here. It should be more comfortable and welcoming. The music was a great addition. In fact, I love this song," he said as he went to the radio and turned it up.

"Don't turn it up too loud. It'll bother other people," she chided him.

"Don't be such a spoil sport. This is a good song," he told her with a grin. Then he started singing along. " _Who's that lady? Sexy lady…beautiful lady… who's that lady? I would love to take her home, but her heart is made of stone…"_

Hermione started giggling and got up and shoved him.

"Stop singing! You're being a goofball. How do you even know this old song?"

"I listen to the radio at home a lot. I've had three years to catch up on Muggle songs. This is a classic. The Isley Brothers."

"You are so weird," she said as she stood there awkwardly while he continued to sing off key and in a very high pitched voice. It was hilarious, but she didn't want to let on that she was enjoying it that much. Then the music changed to something else. "Oh now I like this song," she told him.

It was Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley. Hermione started humming along with it and Draco just scooped her up and started dancing with her. She tried to protest at first but then he just held onto her tighter. And much to her dismay he knew the words to this one too and sang along, but he also urged her to sing along too.

"Come on, sing it," he said in between choruses.

"No, I don't sing in front of people. I'm dreadful," she giggled as he swept her around the room.

"I'm not people. I'm just me. So at least sing the chorus," he smiled at her.

She sighed and relented and sang the chorus for him. They actually sang it together. Then the next verse came and she kept going.

" _Your faith was strong but you needed proof. You saw her bathing on the roof. Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you. She tied you to her kitchen chair. She broke your throne and she cut your hair. And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah…"_

"You know this song reminds me of you," he whispered to her.

"It does?" she gulped at the feel of his lips trembling against her ear.

"Yeah, it really does."

She pulled back and wiggled out of his embrace. That was just a little too much for her to handle. And it certainly wasn't professional to be singing and dancing in her office with her new assistant. She smoothed her clothes down and went to turn the radio down.

"Okay, play time is over. I think we've had quite enough of that for now," she said stuffily, trying to get a handle on the emotions she was feeling at his touch and his utterance that this powerful love song reminded him of her. It was just too much.

"Suit yourself. It was just getting good," he said with disappointment. He knew he probably shouldn't have said the bit about the song reminding him of her. But it did. She was rendering him useless and putty in her hands and he didn't understand how she was doing it. Or what was wrong with him. He was just caught in the middle of it and had no recourse but to follow where things led him. Only he wasn't so sure she was on board the same train of thought he was.

He went back to his desk and she went back to hers, only he didn't really have much to do so he was bored. He kept looking at her and her nose was buried in a file, but he had a feeling she was really just avoiding looking at him. He'd made things awkward, but he just spoke his mind. That's what got him into trouble sometimes. He sighed loudly and she looked up at him.

"Yes?" she answered his sigh with a question.

"I'm bored. Can I go to lunch?" he wondered.

She looked at the clock and realized it was indeed lunch time. She usually just ate at her desk. She looked back over at him.

"Sure you can take your lunch. I'll have something for you to do when you get back," she informed him.

"Perfect," he said dryly. "So are you eating lunch too or what?"

"Yes. But I always just eat right here. I brought a sandwich from home."

"A sandwich? Blech. You do realize the cafeteria has hot food. And it's actually quite good. Why not come with me?" he offered, not giving up on her just yet.

"You want me to eat lunch with you?" she asked with confusion.

"Yes. I hate sitting alone and no one else likes me. They all think I'm still evil. And I'm not! It'd be nice if you were there. Maybe showing people you can stand me, so they might warm up to me?" he told her seriously.

"I didn't realize people shunned you. You always rush to lunch when I let you go."

"Yeah, well, I didn't exactly feel like telling you I was a leper amongst my colleagues. But lunch would be way better with someone to talk to."

"Alright. Fine. Just this once," she relented against her better judgment.

She didn't know why she felt sorry for him, but she did. It must be hard to not be accepted by everyone. She herself knew that feeling because in school she wasn't really accepted until Harry and Ron took her under their wings. And back before that, in Muggle school, she never had any friends. So she understood his plight. But were they actually friends now? That she didn't know. But she got up from her desk and followed him to the cafeteria.

They walked in and got in line for food. The meal today was pot roast with potatoes and a salad. Hermione had to admit it was much more appealing than her lowly ham sandwich. They filled their trays and went to sit at an open table. People were gawking at them and it made both of them uncomfortable, but neither said a word. They just sat down together.

"Are people staring at us, or is it just me?" Hermione asked finally once they'd started eating.

"They're staring. But who cares right? Let them stare. You're my boss. That's it. We're just sharing a meal," he tried to shrug it off.

"I am your boss, so this isn't so weird. I'm just enjoying a meal with my trainee," she said trying to convince herself it wasn't social suicide to be seen with him.

"This is why I like places like that Muggle dive. No one stares at me. But here it's like they're all just waiting for me to flip out and try to kill someone. I hate it. I never even killed anyone to begin with!" he lamented.

"Yeah, but you sure tried. People have long memories. I'm honestly surprised you got the job at all," she remarked taking a bite of her roast.

"It wasn't easy, but I had the grades to pull it off. Plus I aced the interview process. I can be quite charming," he said with a smile.

"Right. I bet you can," she laughed slightly.

"Are you charmed by me?" he wondered sipping his juice.

"Me? Charmed by you? Hardly," she scoffed, and lied. The truth was, he was charming. Too much so. But she didn't want to feed that fire.

"Hardly? I thought my pictures and my singing were pretty damn charming," he pointed out.

"They were funny, granted. But I don't know about charming."

"Well I'll get to you somehow. You'll see," he grinned at her.

"Why do you want to charm me? I figure you can barely stand me and are only sitting with me because you have no other options," she told him.

"Bollocks. I could sit alone. I just don't want to. I'd rather have your company. In case you haven't noticed, I've been trying to gain your favor and I thought it was working," he said to her.

"Why do you want to gain my favor so badly?" She was confused by his motivations.

"Because I like you," he said simply.

"You like me?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well that's interesting," she added trying not to smile.

"Don't go getting all big headed about it. I just think you're fun to be around. At least when you let yourself have fun," he explained.

"You really think I'm dull don't you?" she asked with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"No, quite the contrary. You're a lot of fun, when you want to be. Friday night proved that. It was a slow start, but you came out of your shell. I had a good time. Didn't you?" he asked hopefully.

"I did have a good time. Surprisingly so. But I guess I left there feeling confused as to why you'd invited me," she confessed.

"I just said why I invited you. I like you. God you're thick sometimes," he chuckled to himself.

She didn't know what to say to that. Draco Malfoy _liked_ her? In what way? As a friend or was he alluding to something deeper? She was scared to find out. And suddenly she felt like a teenager again. The only way she knew how to deal with it was to ignore the fact that he said anything. So she just ate in silence. But Draco hated silence. It was the only thing that drove him out of his mind.

"So what would you say if I asked you to dinner?" he tossed out breaking the silence.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Dinner? With you? Why?"

"Do I have to say it again? I like your company. And I think you like mine. So why shouldn't we have dinner?" he offered her.

"I'm busy tonight," she lied. This was just the strangest thing ever. Obviously he liked her way more than she originally realized.

"Busy doing what? Knitting tea cozy's?" he ribbed her.

"It just so happens that I'm having dinner with another friend," she said with her nose in the air.

"Which friend?"

"Luna."

"Oh. Alright. How about tomorrow night?" he tossed out, not giving up.

"Perhaps it's better to not mix business with pleasure? I am your boss. Don't you think it's weird for us to go on a date?" she whispered across the table.

"No, I don't think it's weird at all. And if you really don't want to go, then just tell me. Don't make up stories about a dinner with Luna. I know you're lying. Remember I can read people really well. If you're not interested, that's fine," he held up his hands, and tried to pretend he wasn't wounded by her snub. But what did he really expect? Her to willingly go out with him when he'd been such a jerk to her for so many years? Obviously he still had a lot to atone for.

Hermione was at a loss for words. If she said she wasn't interested at all, she'd be lying again. But if she admitted she was interested that just opened up a whole new can of worms. And that wasn't something she knew how to deal with. But she already felt sad at the thought of him giving up trying to ask her out. So she took a deep breath and let it out.

"Okay," she said finally.

"Okay what?"

"Okay, I'll have dinner with you."

"Really?"

"Did I stutter? Yes, really. Just don't make me regret it," she sighed.

"How could I make you regret it? By doing something evil or putting you under the Imperious curse to do my bidding? I told you I'd changed, and I meant that," he said seriously.

"I know. And it's the only reason I'm saying yes."

"Is that really the only reason?"

She was silent for a beat and then, "I kinda sorta like you a little bit too."

That was hard for her to admit, but his large smile showed her it was the right thing to say. Just be honest. It was kind of nice to be able to say the truth, even if she had no idea what it meant yet. But she just knew she was interested to explore whatever this was that was happening between them. She just hoped he didn't end up breaking her heart.

 **To be continued…. Please leave feedback! I love reviews! They keep me writing faster….**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters here. I just use them for my own amusement. JK Rowling and co. own them No copyright infringement intended.

 **Summary:** When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.

 **Author's note:** Lyrics by Taylor Swift

 **Wildest Dreams**

 _Say you'll remember me  
Standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset babe  
Red lips and rosy cheeks  
Say you'll see me again even if it's just in your wildest dreams_

Hermione got herself ready for the dinner with Draco. This time she insisted she be allowed to go home first to change her clothes. She didn't want to wear the frumpy business suit she wore to work. She told herself she wasn't trying to impress anyone, but that was a lie. She wanted to show Draco that she could be a real girl and not just a boring stuffy boss lady. So she did her hair nicely and put on a red dress that she saved for special occasions. He didn't tell her where they were going but he admitted a nice dress wouldn't be a bad idea. So she hoped she was pulling it off. She'd given Draco her address so he was going to pop by her flat to pick her up. She raced around putting on her lipstick and trying to find just the right purse to and shoes for the outfit. She was putting in a lot of effort for a dinner she told herself was nothing special. But the truth was, she hadn't been on an actual date in a very long time. And this was kinda sorta a real date. Or at least Draco made it sound that way. By the time he started knocking on the door she felt ready to present herself. She went to the door and opened it up. Draco stood there in an amazing black suit with a black shirt open at the collar. He had on loafers and he was carrying a bouquet of red roses. She was bowled over.

And so was he. He never imagined her to clean up so nicely. She was stunning in that dress and it took him awhile to actually form a coherent thought. But he finally smiled and thrust the flowers at her.

"These are for you. I figured if your flat was anything like your office, it needed something to brighten it up," he said with a grin.

"They're beautiful. Thank you. You can come in while I put them in water," she motioned for him to enter and turned around and headed for the kitchen.

Draco walked in and looked around at everything, including the orange cat who resided on the sofa. He knew she had some sort of cat, but this one was very ugly. He started laughing at it.

"What's so funny?" she called from the kitchen.

"Your cat. Was it always this ugly or did it get into some sort of accident?" he wondered.

"That's Crookshanks. And no, he always looked like that. He's beautiful."

"Beautiful? I guess we have differing opinions of beauty," he remarked with a snicker.

"Stop making fun of my cat!" she admonished him from the kitchen.

"Sorry. I'll stop. It's just I've never seen anything quite like it," he noted. "Can I pet it, or does it bite?"

"He doesn't bite, but if he doesn't like you, you'll know it. He'll get up and leave."

Draco went over and cautiously petted Crookshanks head. Crookshanks smelled Draco's hand intently and then he started purring and closed his eyes.

"I think he likes me! He's purring. And he didn't snub me. That must win me some points eh?" he asked.

She walked into the room and put the flowers on a table.

"It does win you some cool points. Crookshanks doesn't like a lot of people. He hated Ron," she told him.

"The cat has good taste in people then. I mean, who wouldn't hate Ron?" Draco laughed.

She smacked his arm and gave him a glare.

"Stop it. Ron is perfectly fine. He just doesn't like cats and they don't like him."

"Whatever. I'm just pleased this beast liked _me_."

"Shall we go now?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, I made us a reservation for eight. So we should get going," he said, taking in her radiance. "You look amazing tonight, Hermione."

"Thank you," she blushed slightly. "You look pretty amazing yourself."

"Thanks. I didn't know if I could impress you or not, but I tried," he smiled at her.

"You were trying to impress me?"

"Weren't you trying to impress me too? If not, then you did a bang up job without trying very hard," he noted.

"Let's just go to dinner," she said, avoiding the answer to that. She did in fact try hard to impress him. But he didn't need to hear that from her lips.

They took off into the night and apparated to an alley behind an Italian eatery. It was very nice and exclusive and Draco had used his money to gain them a reservation. That was one of the perks of being rich. Which was why he wasn't eager to lose his money any time soon. Hermione seemed suitably happy with the location as they took their seats at a romantic little table on the terrace with candlelight and roses on the table. They quickly ordered up a bottle of very pricey wine and they sipped that as they decided to what to order to eat. Hermione had so many choices she had no idea what to pick.

"Shall I order for you?" he asked politely, unsure of how a gesture like that would go over with a bossy independent woman such as herself.

But she just shrugged and smiled and put the menu down.

"Surprise me," she said throwing caution to the wind. She'd never had anyone order for her before. But it was a nice change of pace.

When the waiter came back, Draco ordered two of the same meal and hoped that she liked it. He knew she liked chicken wings and this was a chicken dish, so she should be good to go. She didn't complain about the order at least.

"So are you going to bring some real photos to put up in the office?" he asked as he sipped his wine.

"Yes. It's a good idea. I have a few in mind," she told him.

"Too bad we don't have one of us dressed up fancy like this. It'd make a great centerpiece to the office," he grinned at her.

"A picture of _us_? Now that would be almost scandalous. A boss and her trainee up on the wall of the office," she laughed.

"Hey now, I think it's a good idea."

"You would."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he wondered.

"Nothing. It's just you drew that silly picture of us holding hands. So I'm not surprised you'd want a picture of us together. But sorry to burst your bubble, I don't have a camera with me."

"Pity. Oh well. I'll just have to bring one to work and get a photo then," he said surely.

"You're not taking my picture," she protested.

"Why not? You're a great subject," he told her seriously.

"Stop."

He didn't know why he was being so persistent about getting a photo of the two of them, but it just seemed like something he wanted to own. But she wasn't his girlfriend and he knew that. She was his boss. But she was on a date with him. And it had been a long while since he'd taken a girl on a proper date. He didn't want to blow this by being weird. So he decided to tone it down slightly.

"Alright, no pictures. I get it. You don't want photographic evidence of your decision to go out with me," he said observantly.

"That's not it. It's just silly to take a picture. We aren't a couple. Are we?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, we're just two work colleagues on a dinner date. Unless you _want_ to be a couple?" he added with his own raised eyebrow.

"Very funny. Of course not. That would be really weird," she said awkwardly. The truth was, it wasn't near as weird as she was making it out to be. But she wasn't about to ruin the night by saying something she'd regret when he inevitably laughed at her.

"I suppose it would be sort of weird for us to be a couple. We couldn't be more different. But I kind of like that about you," he said wistfully.

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

He just stared at her over the table and she just stared back. Once again, neither one of them knew what to do with themselves. Finally Draco reached over and took her hand. He held it over the table and rubbed little circles across the top of her hand with his thumb.

"This doesn't feel so bad," he whispered to her.

"No, it doesn't feel bad at all," she whispered back.

But then the moment was ruined when the food arrived and the waiter set their meals in front of them. They let go of their hands and looked away from each other and down at their food. That seemed like a safer place to stare than at each other. But something was in the air between them and neither of them could deny it. They just didn't really want to talk about it. Especially Hermione. She was confused at her own feelings and as to why Draco would want her at all. They were sworn enemies. And while she could understand wanting to put the past behind them so they could work together, she didn't really understand why he'd want more. And she certainly didn't understand why she was considering it.

They ate their meal in relative silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Draco really didn't know what was happening either except he was compelled to be near her. In some warped way, he'd always liked gaining her attention. Maybe because she seemed so unattainable in the past that he used to hurl insults at her just to get her to notice him. Otherwise she was so aloof and acted like he didn't really exist. He wasn't sure what it was about her that captured him so much, but she definitely had a way about her. And now that he had her attentions without having to insult her, he didn't want to blow it by moving too fast. But part of him really wanted to kiss her. And that surprised him. How did he end up here in such a short time?

Once they were done with the main course, Draco wanted dessert. Hermione said she was full and didn't order anything but Draco insisted on sharing.

"Come on, just try a bite of this cheesecake. It's heavenly," he said holding out his fork with a piece of cheesecake stuck to it.

"No, I'm really full," she declined his offer.

"You can't be that full. Just taste it!" he said practically shoving the fork into her mouth.

She was startled momentarily and began to laugh as she chewed up the dessert.

"Okay, you didn't need to assault me with cheesecake," she giggled at him as she wiped her mouth. "But it is really good."

"I told you it was good. And sorry if I just sort of jammed it in your mouth. I don't know what I'm doing," he laughed slightly.

"It's okay. It just surprised me is all."

"I just felt like you'd miss out if you didn't taste this."

"Well thank you. The whole evening has been lovely, Draco," she said with a smile, and meant every word of it.

"You called me Draco. Interesting. Now that's the first time you've called me that. I must have _really_ impressed you with this dinner," he noted with a happy grin.

"I didn't even realize I'd said it. But yes, you impressed me. Not that I require fancy wine and dinners to be impressed. But it doesn't hurt."

"Duly noted. I don't think you get out enough. Do you?" he wondered aloud.

"No, I really don't. I can't believe I'm admitting it, but I haven't been on a date in a long time," she said blushing slightly at her honesty.

"Me neither. You're not alone. I haven't really taken a girl out like in forever," he admitted.

"Really? I thought you said you shagged lots of Muggle girls."

"I did. I _shagged_ them. But I didn't _date_ them. I met them in bars and clubs. People there are just looking for Mr. Right Now and not a date," he explained. '

"That's a little on the empty side, isn't it?"

"It very much is. Which is why I'm tired of it. It was fun for a while but I'm really over it. I'm ready to be with someone that I actually like," he told her sincerely. "What about you? Are you looking for someone to be with?"

"I hadn't really given it much thought. After Ron, I didn't date much. Then I went through a time where I had a new man every week. Just trying them out, so to speak. But then I gave up when none of them really connected with me. I-I've been kind of a recluse mostly," she explained to him.

"Well that's sad. You deserve to be taken out and treated right. You shouldn't be a recluse. You're depriving some lucky sod of a wonderful girl."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. You're smart and kind and funny and beautiful," he told her softly.

She just stared at him wordlessly and didn't say anything. She was lost in his words. He snapped his fingers in her face.

"Did I lose you somewhere?" he laughed slightly.

"Somewhere around beautiful," she confessed looking away from him.

"I only speak the truth."

"You never thought I was beautiful before. In fact I used to feel really ugly near you. Especially when you'd do terrible things to me like hit me with a curse that made my teeth grow out of my head," she said giving him a look.

"Oh God, I'd forgotten that one! Man I was a prat. I'm sorry. I don't know what possessed me to do half the shit I did. I was just an asshole," he said knowing he had no good explanation for his prior actions.

"I still got you good though. That time I punched you in the face? You never saw that coming. And I remember you ran away in terror. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen," she laughed at the memory.

"Go ahead and laugh. I was deserving of that one. I had it coming. But damn woman, you hit hard!"

"I didn't even know I had that in me, but it felt so good," she said deviously.

"I was a little scared of you after that, truth be told," he confessed with a slight laugh.

"Good. I'm glad I scared you. You kind of laid off for a while after that. But you never gave up entirely. Why did you live to torment the three of us so much? We never did anything to you," she pointed out, sipping more of the wine they'd ordered.

"I have no good explanation really. I was just a bully. You have to understand that I was raised by the biggest bully on earth. I looked up to my father, so I just did the sorts of things I saw him doing. That is until Voldemort showed up and everything was a mess. My father didn't have anything to say about that. He just bowed down and everything was 'yes, my Lord' and 'whatever you wish, my Lord'. Oh how far the mighty fell. At least in my eyes. And suddenly none of it made any sense to me. I just wanted to stay alive. It was the first time in my life when I was truly scared shitless. I pushed everyone away and suffered alone. And I never really recovered from it exactly. I still have the Dark Mark on my arm," he told her softly.

It wasn't like him to bare his soul like this, but she made him feel comfortable. She was startled at how candid he was about his struggles, and she found herself feeling bad for her old childhood tormentor. She reached over and took his hand again.

"You were coerced into getting that mark. I know you didn't want it," she said surely. "And for what it's worth, you've turned out okay now. Even if you maybe had a few bumps in the road."

"You think I'm okay huh?"

"I think so. You seem pretty okay to me."

"I'm getting there. I don't really talk about any of this with people. So keep it to yourself okay? Just between us friends," he said feeling self-conscious.

"Of course. Nothing you say leaves my lips. I don't know who I'd tell anyway," she assured him.

"How about Potter? You and he could get a few laughs at my expense if you wanted to share my deep dark secrets with him," he pointed out.

"I'd never do that to you. Anything you tell me, stays with me. I'm like a therapist or something," she smiled at him. "And honestly, the same goes to you. Anything I say, I don't want to hear it repeated around work. I'd probably be a laughing stock if people knew how sad and lonely my life really was."

"Nah, it's not that bad. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone. All of this can be our little secret. What do you say?" he squeezed her hand and let go as he leaned back in his chair with his wine glass.

"Deal."

"Good."

Then they just stared at each other some more. Hermione couldn't recall ever staring at someone like this on a date. But he was so handsome and he kept surprising her with the things he'd say. She felt in awe of his presence, and he was feeling the same way about her. It rendered them both mute with how powerful their connection was. But neither of them wanted to risk ruining it by taking things too fast. Hermione felt like it was a moral quandary to be having lusty thoughts for her trainee. She could actually get in trouble if the higher ups knew she was on a date with her subordinate. But she didn't really care right now. And neither did Draco. But it was getting late and the waiter had already brought their check. They finished up the wine and prepared to leave the restaurant. But it felt a little sad to call it a night.

"So I had a marvelous time. The food was great and the company was lovely," Hermione said as they stood up to exit the terrace.

"I had a great time too. We'll have to do it again sometime," he smiled at her.

"Definitely. Maybe next time we go out, I can pick the place?" she offered with a devious little smile.

"I'm wondering what you have in mind given that smile," he laughed.

"Nothing that bad! Just I have an idea that might be fun. But we'll wait to see the joy on your face when I plan it. Let's not get ahead of ourselves," she said wagging her finger at him.

"I will be waiting with baited breath to find out what you'd plan for us. You just let me know when you wanna do it," he told her.

"How about this weekend?" she posed the question to him.

"This weekend? Alright. Sounds like a plan. When are you going to tell me what we're doing?"

"Right before we do it, so you can't back out."

"Is this something insane like bungee jumping or skydiving?"

"No, really not. I'm not crazy. You'll like my plan. You'll see."

"I trust you," he said taking her arm and leading her onto the sidewalk. "Shall I see you home?"

"You don't have to . I can apparate myself there. I'll be fine," she said not wanting to put him out, but also not wanting to admit she wanted him to come with her.

But he didn't realize she wanted him to go with her, so he just nodded and agreed to say goodnight in the alley. They walked over and both were feeling slightly disappointed that the night was ending too quickly. But they'd see each other at work tomorrow. It was already late, so it'd be no time before they saw each other again. But it felt too long. Once they got to the alley, they stopped and Draco faced Hermione.

"Again, lovely time. I'll see you tomorrow?" he said hopefully.

"Bright and early. And I'll bring photos with me," she said dutifully.

"Perfect. I can't wait to see them."

"Goodnight Draco," she said giving him a shy look.

"Goodnight Hermione," he said giving her a small kiss on the cheek.

And with that, he let her disappear first and he followed suit. Once he was back at home he found himself pining over her. It was not something he expected to feel. Somehow she'd gotten under his skin. And a cheek kiss wasn't enough, but he didn't want to cross any weird lines so soon. He was just relieved to have spent the evening with her. And Hermione was just really confused. She shouldn't want anything to do with Draco, but for some reason he was all she could think of. But she wouldn't let this get out of hand. They had to remain friends and nothing more. Anything else would be too weird. Despite her inner longings, she had to keep things friendly. Even if it killed her to do so.

 **To be continued…. Please leave feedback! I love reviews! They keep me writing faster….**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters here. I just use them for my own amusement. JK Rowling and co. own them No copyright infringement intended.

 **Summary:** When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.

 **Author's note:** Lyrics by Taylor Swift

 **Wildest Dreams**

 _You see me in hindsight  
Tangled up with you all night  
Burn it down  
Some day when you leave me  
I bet these memories follow you around _

The next few days at work passed quickly. Hermione had brought photos from home to display in her office and Draco put up the stick figure drawing of him and Hermione holding hands. That was the only picture he contributed because he had nothing else he wanted to display. And he thought the stick figure drawing was good for a laugh. He even put up the ones of him lying dead under paperwork and Hermione laughing over his coffin. She was amused by him and found herself laughing in his presence more often than not. He brought out a side to her that not a lot of people had seen in a long time. It was side to her she wasn't even sure existed anymore, but with him it all felt so natural. He was also a good employee and had learned the ropes incredibly fast. He was already setting up trials for her which gave her little to no actual work to do except attend the meetings. He was the best assistant she could ever ask for, and an even better friend. It was hard to keep things professional because they were so fond of each other. Draco would burst out into song on occasion, singing with the radio. And he'd even gotten her to dance again once. She protested his advances, but she did so very weakly. She secretly loved the attention. Now that it was Friday, the weekend was nearly here, and all Hermione could think of was that she and Draco were going to go out again. She couldn't wait.

"Are you excited about this weekend?" she asked him as they both sat at their desks with their own sets of paperwork to peruse.

"Very excited. Are you ever going to tell me what we're doing?"

"Nope. Not until we get there," she said mischievously.

"I don't know if I like this idea. I like to plan what I'm doing. How will I know what to wear?" he asked curiously.

"It's very casual, so wear jeans if you have them."

"Check. Casual. I like it. Alright. Should I eat first?"

"No, we'll eat there."

"So it's a dinner place?"

"Not exactly. But they have food and drinks."

"It's a bar then. Like the one I took you to," he said thinking he'd figured it out.

"No, it's not. Stop guessing! You'll ruin the surprise. Don't you have work to do?" she asked trying to put him off.

"You're the one that asked me if I was excited about the weekend," he pointed out.

"Yes, well, it was a quick answer and didn't involve me giving hints."

"Alright, alright. I'll live in suspense," he relented with a sigh. "Have you told Potter we're working together?" he asked seemingly out of the blue.

"What?"

"You heard me. Did you tell him?"

"He kind of sort of found out that you worked here. I guess he saw you and then he asked me about it. So I told him the situation. But all I said was that you worked for me. I didn't mention our outings," she explained nervously.

" _Outings_? You mean dates?" he smirked at her.

"They were friendly friend dates! That's all. And he doesn't need to know about them. They're secret remember?" she reminded him.

"I never said the 'outings' were secret. Just the things we talked about on them. But it's fine. I just wondered if he knew. I saw him this morning but I didn't think he saw me. I wasn't about to go up to him," Draco shook his head.

"He said he felt sorry for me having to deal with you. But I told him you'd changed. He didn't buy it," she said with a sigh.

"Of course he didn't buy it. Why would he? He probably still hates me a lot," he lamented.

"I think so. But I defended you. I said you weren't so bad. But he said he'd believe that when he saw it. Of course if you two avoid each other constantly, he'll never see it for himself."

"I think avoiding each other is probably good. Weasel doesn't fucking work here does he?" Draco suddenly wondered.

"Not anymore. He used to. But now he works at the joke shop with his brother."

"Joke shop?"

"Yeah, it's in Diagon Alley and it's really amazing. You'd probably like it, even if you'd never consent to be seen shopping in there," she said making a face at him.

"I don't think it would be me who wouldn't shop there, so much as they would probably kick me out if I showed up."

"You're probably right," she admitted with a grimace.

"It's okay. I don't need a joke shop. But I wish your friends didn't hate me so much," he said sadly.

"I don't care what they think. It doesn't matter to me."

"It matters to me though."

She got up and walked over to his desk. She touched his arm.

"Don't let it get to you. They don't know what they're missing."

He looked up at her and smiled slightly.

"As long as _you_ give me a chance I'll be okay."

"You don't have to worry there. I've got your back," she smiled.

"I don't deserve your support, but I'm grateful for it," he smiled back.

"You'll always have my support."

"Thanks."

Draco wished that things were different and that Harry didn't hate him. He wasn't sure why he cared though, but he did. Part of him wanted to prove to everyone that he'd changed, and not just to Hermione. She'd seen the good side of him, but unless he was stuck with Potter for some reason and they were forced to interact, he didn't imagine Harry rolling out the welcome mat for him. He tried not to let it get to him though. He had Hermione and that was more than he ever would have dreamed he'd have. Her support. And her friendship. And whatever it was that was passing between them. It felt bigger than friendship, but she kept being insistent that it was a friends only type of situation. He wasn't going to push her. But he hoped maybe one day she'd see him as more than that.

When the weekend came, Draco got dressed in jeans and a nice button up shirt along with his black loafers. He looked polished even if he was wearing Muggle clothes. It was almost impossible for him not to look that way. And Hermione noted it when he showed up at her door. This time without flowers, but with a camera in his hands.

"What's that?" she asked as she let him into her flat.

"It's a camera, you ninny. What does it look like?" he teased her.

"But why do you have it? I said no pictures!" she protested.

"Too bad. I have no idea where you're taking me, but pictures are a requirement. What if this is something crazy that I want captured on film or else no one will believe I did it?" he offered.

"It's not that exciting. Trust me. You don't need a camera," she shook her head.

"But I want it. So when are we leaving?" he asked eagerly.

"I've just got to grab my purse. But please don't take pictures of me," she said with a pout.

"Why not?"

"I don't know. I hate how I look in them most of the time. And we're so not putting up any pictures of us together in the office."

"Well maybe I'll put the pictures on the walls of my home? Would that be alright with you?" he wondered with some amusement.

"Fine."

"Good. Now let's get going. I'm dying to see where we're going."

He held onto her arm and she apparated them away to a place she knew in the city. They walked out of the alley and went across the street and she held up her arms at the big neon sign over the door.

"Ta-da! This is our date place," she said happily.

"Lucky Strike Lanes? We're _bowling_?" he said unsure of the destination.

"Yes! They have this thing called electric bowling and it's all dark with nothing but black lights on in the place. It's spectacular," she said excitedly.

"Love, I don't know how to bowl. I've never done it before," he admitted scratching his head.

"Oh it's easy. I'll show you the ropes. And maybe this time I'll beat you in a game since you murdered me in darts and pool," she informed him.

"Okay. But if I end up being naturally gifted at this, don't cry too much when I win," he smirked at her.

They walked into the bowling alley and it was already dark and had a neon glow all around them. It was like a nightclub except it smelled like old shoes and floor polish, Draco noted. They walked up to the counter to pay for the game and rent the shoes and Draco took one look at the shoes and shook his head.

"Oh hell no. I'm not wearing those fucked up shoes," he said adamantly.

"You have to! They won't let you play if you don't," she explained.

"But they're so ugly. And other peoples feet have been in them! That's just unsanitary and gross," he made a face.

"Just get the stupid shoes, will you? They spray disinfectant in them. They're not smelly," she tried to tell him.

"They look smelly. And did I mention really ugly?"

"You mentioned that. Just get a pair please."

He finally relented and told the man his size and then they took their ugly shoes to the assigned lane. Draco noted lots of people with special shirts and less ugly shoes that they'd apparently purchased for themselves instead of renting them. He wished he would have known and he would have just bought shoes. But he was being a good sport about it. He took off his loafers and put on the horrid shoes and then he watched Hermione as she went to pick out a bowling ball. So he followed suit and tried to pick the right one, except he had no idea what the right one would be like. Did he want it lighter or heavier? The lighter balls had smaller finger holes so he assumed they were for children or small women, so he went with a larger ball. It was white and glowed in the dark. He had to admit the place looked really cool.

"So we gonna play or what?" Hermione asked him with a big grin on her face.

"You go first and then I'll see what I'm up against," he urged her.

She went up to the lane and rolled her ball and she hit all but one pin. Then when the ball came back she managed to knock over the last pin. She jumped up and down and cheered for herself. Draco didn't think it looked that hard. So he felt confident he'd be good at it. He stepped up to the lane and launched his ball and waited as it rolled right into the gutter.

"Damn it! That shouldn't count. I wasn't ready!"

"If you weren't ready, why'd you let go of the ball?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"It just slipped," he lied. He didn't want to admit it was harder than it looked. "I should get a do-over."

"Nope. No do-overs. Just try again and aim for the middle," she said helpfully.

He just sighed and grabbed his ball again as it had now returned in the little slot. He aimed again and this time he hit one pin. He groaned and pouted to Hermione.

"This game sucks," he complained.

"You're new at it. It takes practice. Just watch how I do it," she assured him as she picked up her ball and went to the lane again. This time she got a strike and she jumped up and down and clapped for herself.

"Okay, you've gotta be cheating," he informed her with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not cheating! I just used to play this with my family when I was a kid," she shrugged.

"You said this place had drinks eh? I need a drink to continue on. Maybe I'll get better if I'm drunk?" he laughed slightly.

She just shook her head but agreed to get the drinks. She showed him where the bar was and he went over and grabbed some beers and brought them back to their lane. He took a long swig and then proceeded to roll another gutter ball. Hermione felt bad for him a little because it was clear Draco was used to being good at everything he tried. So she went up behind him and put her arms around him to try and show him how to roll the ball properly.

"You just flick your wrist like so," she explained. "It's really quite simple once you get it down. Try it with me helping you."

He was momentarily rendered mute by the feel of her warm arms around him, but he realized she was just trying to help him at the game. It wasn't a come on. So he took a deep breath and let her guide him. He rolled again and this time he knocked over two pins. It was better than nothing, he deduced. But he still sucked hard at this game. But they kept playing and she kept getting good shots, to his terrible ones. She won the first game easily. That's when Draco got more beers and some cheese sticks from the bar area. He was hungry and bored because he was losing. But he didn't want to give up because she was having so much fun. So they kept going. He decided to let his competitive nature aside for a bit and just cheered for her when she did well. It made the experience more pleasant. Then Draco had taken to literally throwing the ball down the lane because rolling it wasn't working. Hermione couldn't help but burst into giggles over his awful bowling style. But he actually knocked over some pins with that technique, much to her dismay.

"See, I think I'm getting the hang of this!" he said proudly after his small victory.

"You're not supposed to _throw_ the ball though. You'll break the lane!" she laughed at him.

"So what? It works! At least I didn't throw it into the other person's lane next to us," he grinned at her.

"You're hopeless as a bowler."

"Love, this was your bright idea. I'm just making due with it," he told her simply.

"Watch me bowl another strike. You wanna bet money that I make one?" she asked, trying to make things interesting.

"I'm gonna lose this bet if I bet against you," he chuckled.

"Maybe I won't make it? Ten galleons says I make it. You wanna bet against me?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Fine. Ten galleons says you don't make it," he smirked at her.

Now the pressure was on so she tried her best to get her concentration going. She really didn't want to lose. And normally getting a strike was fairly easy for her. She took a deep breath and then Draco came up behind her and poked her in the side, startling her and she dropped the ball onto the lane and it promptly rolled right into the gutter. He started laughing heartily and couldn't stop.

"I win!" he shouted raising his arms in the air.

"No fair! You cheated! You poked me! Who does that?" she said in disbelief.

"I think it's funny as fuck. You were concentrating so hard that when I poked you, I actually made you scream a bit. I'm never forgetting that," he smiled widely at his ill-gotten victory.

"I don't think I should pay you when you so clearly distracted me. I want a do-over!"

"Nuh-uh. You said no do-overs. So just take your lumps and fork over the cash."

She went to her purse and pulled out the money and plunked it in his hand.

"You suck, Draco Malfoy. I hate you," she said with a pout on her face.

"You still have one more shot to go. This time I swear I'll stay right where I am," he held up his hand in promise.

She just stuck her tongue out at him and then went back to the lane and this time hit four pins. He had driven her to distraction now and she couldn't get her groove back so easily. But if he wasn't gonna play fair, then neither was she. When it was his turn to go up she ran up to him and smacked his bum making him launch the ball into the air and it came thudding down before rolling into the gutter.

"What the hell are you doing, woman?" he asked trying not to laugh.

"Payback's a bitch."

"My ass hurts now. Why do you always hit so hard?" he lamented.

"I guess I don't know my own strength," she shrugged.

"No fair smacking me. I should smack your ass and see if you like it," he said challenging her.

"I'd like to see you try," she stuck her tongue out at him.

So he began chasing her around their lane area threatening to smack her ass. She kept laughing and screaming out for him to stop and leave her alone, but he wasn't having any of that. He finally caught up to her and grabbed her around the waist. He lifted her up and smacked her bum as hard as he could. She cried out and burst into giggles.

"Stop it! Put me down! That hurt!"

"Now we're even!"

"You suck so hard. I don't even know what I'm doing with you here," she pouted as he put her down and she rubbed her sore ass.

"You like me. Face it. I'm charming."

"I do not like you. I hate you."

"Liar."

She thought for a moment, then she just burst out into giggles again.

"Okay, so I'm a liar. But do not ever smack my bum again!"

"Don't smack mine either!"

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Just bowl."

So they got back to the business of bowling, but it was really a lot more fun when they were deliberately trying to fuck each other's shit up. But they tried to refrain and just play a fair game, but Draco lost again and he'd had enough. She wiped the floor with him, even after his shenanigans.

"Okay, I'm done with this game. I hate losing," he told her with a sigh.

"I love winning, so it's been a pretty good night for me," she grinned at him.

"You're so awful. You knew I was going to suck at this. That's why you brought me here," he pouted.

"I didn't know that. For all I knew you could have been a bowling champ. It's not like I know that much about you," she admitted.

"True, I suppose. But can we take off these ugly shoes now? I want to put my own shoes back on. We can just sit in the bar for a while, can't we?" he asked her.

"Oh, alright. If you've really had enough," she sighed.

"I have. But just so you know, I did get pictures of you when you weren't looking," he smirked at her.

"What? When?"

"When you were so deep in concentration. They're gonna look great in my albums. But we really should get one of the two us posing with the ball and the ugly shoes. What do you say?" he offered excitedly.

"Alright. Since I did in fact wipe the floor with you, I guess I can give you one little picture," she relented.

He smiled and picked up the bowling ball and took off his ugly shoes. He held them up and she grabbed the camera and scooted into the shot and they took a hilarious selfie of the two of them laughing in the bowling alley. Draco tried to play it cool, but he really was thrilled to have photographic evidence that Hermione Granger spent time with him of her own free will. Not that he was planning on sharing it with anyone. But he still owned it and that pleased him. They each put back on their real shoes and turned the ugly ones in and then they went to the bar area where people were playing shuffleboard and darts and pool while listening to music that went along with the strobe lights in the alley. It was a fun atmosphere, even if it did smell like old shoes and cigarettes inside there. They sat at a high top table and ordered two more beers. There was a bowl of nuts on the table and Draco dug into them while they waited. He just kept looking at Hermione who was so beautiful tonight, he thought. Maybe even more radiant than when she dressed up fancy and went to dinner with him. This was her element. A smoky, stinky bowling alley made her feel at home for some reason and he just thought it was adorable.

"So you really came here a lot with your folks?" he asked finally, trying to break the silence that always settled over them for some reason.

"Not this particular place, no. But bowling, yes. It was part of our family fun nights we used to have when I was growing up. We'd also miniature golf and drive little go-Karts. We had a blast," she said wistfully, missing her parents.

"That sounds fun actually. I wanna drive a go-Kart," he noted with a smile.

"Maybe next time?"

"It's a date."

"Why are we going on these friend dates, Draco? It's kind of weird don't you think?" she tossed out as she sipped her beer that had just arrived.

"You think it's weird? I thought it was fun," he said, feeling slightly wounded.

"It _is_ fun. It's just that I'm your boss. We should probably make sure we keep it friendly," she said, belying what she actually felt. She was attracted to him deeply, but it was wrong of her to think like that.

"It is friendly. Just because we smacked each other's asses doesn't mean it's not friendly," he said with a slight chuckle. He was disappointed to hear her say this, but it didn't surprise him. She was stickler for rules. Like not dating your subordinate at work. But he could really care less.

"Okay. Just so you don't get the wrong idea," she said waving her hand in the air.

"I don't have the wrong idea. It's fine."

The truth was, he did sort of have the wrong idea. He couldn't help himself. He really liked her a lot. He fantasized about kissing her on a daily basis. But she was hell bent on being just friends. He wondered if she was doing that because it was how she really felt, or because it was the so-called _right_ thing to do? He wasn't sure. But he was afraid to find out, so he kept quiet about it.

"I'm glad you understand how I feel. I mean, I enjoy your company a lot. You're the most fun I've had in a long time. I just don't want to complicate things," she explained, trying to convince not only him, but herself.

"I said it's cool. You wanna be friends. I could use a friend. I don't have any of those left. But friends go out and do stuff. And I want to do the go-Karts next. What do you say?" he offered with a smile, that masked the hurt feelings he had.

"Okay. I hope you can drive. Can you drive?" she wondered with a laugh.

"Nope. I've never driven a car before, but how hard could it be? Your ex flew a car to school once. So if he can _fly_ one, I can _drive_ a little go-Kart," he scoffed.

"That was pretty wild what Ron did with the car," she chuckled over the memory.

"I hate the bugger, but I have to admit I was a little jealous I didn't make such a grand entrance to school as he did," Draco laughed.

"You jealous of Ron? Did I hear you correctly? I wish I still talked to him so I could tell him that," she giggled.

"Shut up. Don't fucking tell him that! Remember everything we talk about on our 'outings' is to be private," he reminded her.

"Okay. True. I forgot. Nothing leaves my lips."

"You better not forget it."

They just sat together in silence again and sipped their beers. They both had so much they wanted to say, but didn't say for fear that the other person didn't want to hear it. Hermione knew she was falling for Draco, despite her vehement protests that they remain friends. And Draco was already head over heels for Hermione but he wouldn't ever admit it, so long as she was so adamant they be friends. He wasn't going to make a fool of himself. But here were two people who were crazy about each other and neither one of them would say anything about it. Which in turn made both of them slightly miserable inside. But neither one of them thought there was anything to be done about it.

"You wanna play pool with me again?" Draco asked trying to get rid of the awkward silence that settled.

"You just want to go away from this evening gloating about your win," she teased him.

"Maybe I do? Is there anything wrong with that?" he joked back.

"Fine. We can play. But I get to break," she told him as they got up and found an empty table to play on.

They played pool and drank beer and talked shit about each other endlessly. They were getting really good at teasing each other in a playful way, whereas their teasing in the past had been anything but playful. But now they had a rapport with each other and it made things that much more fun. So when Draco got pissed that she knocked his shot all to hell, he called her a bitch. That just made her laugh even harder.

"You're the little bitch," she shot back at him.

"Bite your tongue. I am not," he protested.

"Draco gets so upset when things don't go his way. I've never seen a more competitive person in the world."

"Really? Try looking in a mirror, sweetheart," he stuck his tongue out at her and flipped her off.

"Fuck you, Malfoy," she stuck her tongue out right back and flipped him off too.

Then they both just dissolved into fits of laughter, fueled by the beers they'd drank and the fact that they loved ribbing each other like this. It kept things exciting between them. And they were both feeling that pull of attraction, but they tried hard not to act on it. But once it was deemed the evening was at its end, Draco insisted on seeing Hermione home this time. He wasn't eager for the night to end even if it was really late.

"You don't have to come to my place. I can get home just fine," she insisted.

"I'd rather make sure you get there safely. Just humor me?" he said with some exasperation.

"Alright."

They made their way to a deserted alley and apparated to Hermione's flat. She threw her purse down and kicked off her shoes and Draco just stood there watching her.

"Can I have a nightcap?" he asked, trying anything he could to give him a reason to stay in her company.

"Sure. What do you want? I only have wine and some vodka," she informed him.

"No whiskey eh?"

"Afraid not."

"Do you have anything to mix with the vodka? Otherwise it tastes like rubbing alcohol," he laughed slightly.

"I have juice."

"Perfect. I'll take a vodka and whatever juice you have."

She went to the kitchen and poured them both a screwdriver, using her orange juice from breakfast. She didn't usually drink the hard stuff but she had the bottle from one of her darker moments when she wished to obliterate all her thoughts. But now she'd have one stiff drink with Draco and then maybe he'd go home. She wasn't sure why he wanted to stay so badly. But she gave him his drink and then they sat on the couch together. He was petting her cat and Crookshanks was loving the attention.

"Your cat really seems to like me," he noted as he took a swig of the strong drink.

"He does. Maybe he's broken?" she teased him.

"Ha-ha. Very funny. You know I never much cared for cats before. I always had dogs at home. My father's prized possessions. They were show dogs and not really pets. But I was always playing with them when he wasn't looking. One time I took them outside after it had rained and we all played in the mud. You should have seen my father's face when his dogs were completely filthy and so was I. He nearly whooped my ass for that one. We had to take the dogs to be groomed and I wasn't allowed out of the house for weeks," Draco recalled the memory from his childhood.

"That's funny. Your dad sounds so awful though," she remarked, taking a sip of her drink and making a face at the taste of the strong liquid.

"Did you ever get in trouble like that, or were you always a perfect child?" he asked curiously.

"I got in trouble plenty. But usually it was for not getting good enough grades in school. My parents wanted me to be the best at everything. So when I'd bring home less than perfect marks, I'd get my playing privileges revoked. I was to stay in my room and study until I could prove I'd do better next time. I loved my parents, but they really messed with my head about being the best at everything. They had me tested once back in Muggle school and I scored as gifted on it, so they put me in the hardest classes and expected me to be the one to cure cancer or something. But once I got my Hogwarts letter all of that changed. They didn't really understand the magic, but I still wanted to prove I was the best. In my third year at Hogwarts, I used a time turner to take twice as many classes as my peers. It was ridiculous," she admitted with a little laugh. She'd never told anyone except Harry about that. But for some reason she wanted to tell Draco.

"A time turner? How the fuck did you get one of those?" Draco was in awe of her story.

"McGonagall gave it to me. I think she thought I was a little left of center for wanting to stretch myself so thin, but she also knew how important it was for me to succeed. I wanted to be miles above all the rest. But all it did was exhaust the hell out of me. And in the end, it didn't even matter. I never finished school. Me, Hermione Granger, the biggest nerd in all the land, was a dropout."

"That's not entirely accurate. I mean, you had reasons for skipping your last year. Plus you could have gone back," he pointed out.

"I know. And I almost did. Except I was offered this job by the Ministry and I decided to take it instead. But part of me regrets not finishing," she confessed.

"You put too much pressure on yourself. You would have aced your last year anyway. It always used to bug me how you'd beat me in all my classes. I thought it was ridiculous that someone who wasn't even pureblooded could beat me. God, I was stupid," he sighed.

"Well you used to keep me motivated, believe it or not. I knew you were smart and just behind me in our marks. So I worked even harder just to stick it to you," she laughed.

"Really? I had no idea you thought of me at all in school. Except to punch me in the face."

"I did. I thought of you way too much, honestly. And so did Harry. I swear you were the topic of so many conversations, even when you weren't actively making our lives a living hell. Harry was always convinced you were evil, and I was just determined to not let you beat me."

"That's really funny. Because I thought of you lot way too much too. Especially you. It drove me mad how good you were. I used to complain to my father all the time about it."

"I know. I remember meeting him for the first time and he said you'd told him all about me. I thought it was weird, but it also made me feel good that you saw me as a threat," she smirked at him.

"You were a threat. But now look at me? I'm your _assistant_. A fucking assistant! I should be the boss," he sighed loudly.

"Well keep up the good work and you just might be a boss one day," she smiled at him.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"You know getting this job was the first thing I've ever done all on my own, without Daddy's help. He wanted to help me but it turns out no one really gives a fuck about his social standings anymore, so he couldn't even pull strings. In fact, it hurt me to have him attempt to intervene. They all hate my father. But I was able to get them to look past his mistakes and let them give me a chance on my own clout. It felt really good, even if I am just a lowly assistant," Draco explained drinking down more of his drink.

"You should be proud then. I assumed your father did have some say in you getting this job," she admitted.

"No way. It was all on me. It felt good to be set apart from the family and do something good on my own."

"Maybe you don't need them after all?"

"I wish. I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm proud of myself. But the pay sucks. I still need my trust fund to live properly. I have a house to maintain and a lifestyle I'm accustomed to. And let's face it, an assistant makes shit money," he told her seriously.

"At least it's an honest wage. Don't you just want to break free from your family altogether and have your own life?" she wondered.

"I wish I could. But I can't. My father still owns me. Unless I want to live in a hovel and eat pot of noodles for every meal. No thanks."

Hermione couldn't help but feel sad over that. Draco should be his own man. But apparently he wasn't quite ready to do that. And she supposed she didn't blame him in some ways. It would be hard to go from riches to rags. But if it were and she had controlling parents like that, she'd much rather strike it out on her own than live under their thumb. But Draco was different. He always had a silver spoon in his mouth. He couldn't be just a regular Joe.

Once their drinks were finished, Hermione was ready to sleep. She was wiped out and the vodka drink only lulled her to sleep faster. She yawned and looked at Draco.

"I think I'm gonna call it a night. I'm very sleepy," she admitted.

"Oh. Okay. Well, that's my cue then," he said wearily as he stood from the comfortable couch and readied himself to leave her.

"I had lots of fun tonight," she smiled at him.

"Me too. It was great. Even if you won all the bowling games. I'll do better at go-Kart racing," he assured her.

"You got a deal then. We'll see who's the better race car driver," she laughed.

He stood there and faced her and wanted so badly to kiss her. But it wasn't allowed. It wasn't in the friendship guidelines. But he just leaned over and kissed her forehead lightly.

"Goodnight, Hermione," he said gently.

"Goodnight, Draco," she smiled up at him.

And with that, he apparated himself out of her flat and back to his own. He hadn't wanted to leave her at all. And she hadn't wanted him to leave either. But they had an agreement. Friends only. Too bad they both thought the agreement sucked. But for now, they were stuck with it.

 **To be continued…. Please leave feedback! I love reviews! They keep me writing faster….**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters here. I just use them for my own amusement. JK Rowling and co. own them No copyright infringement intended.

 **Summary:** When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.

 **Author's note:** Lyrics by Kelly Clarkson

 **Wildest Dreams**

 _Remember all the things we wanted  
Now all our memories, they're haunted  
We were always meant to say goodbye  
Even without fists held high, yeah  
Never would have worked out right, yeah  
We were never meant for do or die_

The next week passed and Hermione found herself actually looking forward to work because Draco would be there. He was always making her laugh and she never realized work could be fun. Against her wishes, he'd posted a copy of their bowling picture on his desk, and she kept trying to steal it and hide it, but he kept finding it and putting it back. It was all in good fun though. Hermione actually liked the picture. It showed the two of them having a blast. But it was a little more complicated to explain the picture to someone like Harry, who happened to stop by one day after he'd returned from a particularly arduous mission. He was hoping to talk with Hermione alone, but he found her and Draco locked in a deep discussion where they were both laughing incredibly hard. He cleared his throat.

"Um, hello?" Harry said feeling weird for interrupting them.

"Harry! What are you doing here?" Hermione asked, scooting her chair away from Draco's desk and back over to her own.

"I just got back from a really tough mission and wondered if maybe you wanted to have drinks with me and Ginny tonight?" he offered, completely ignoring Draco.

"Oh. Um. Well I can't tonight, Harry. I have plans," she said regretfully.

"Plans? With who?" he wondered curiously.

"With me," Draco spoke up, not caring what Harry was going to think.

"With _you_?" Harry finally looked at him and acknowledged his presence.

"Yes, Draco and I were going to go someplace," Hermione said in a small voice.

Harry was disbelieving and he just stood there for a minute and then he noticed the picture on Draco's desk of the two of them. He picked it up and stared at it.

"Looks like you've been going places together for a while. Bowling eh?" Harry said with some confusion.

"Yes, we went bowling," Hermione admitted.

"And tonight we're racing go-Karts," Draco added with a grin.

"Go-Karts? Are you guys dating?" Harry asked making a face at the both of them.

"No! Not at all. We're just friends," Hermione insisted adamantly.

"Yeah don't worry. Hermione has better taste in men than me," Draco snickered, wishing it wasn't the truth.

"Oh. Well that's weird enough that you're friends who go out together. Since when?" Harry wanted to know.

"Since we just do. It's not a big deal. You're always busy! I had no one else to go out with," Hermione said defensively.

"Right, I'm sure she wouldn't consent to spending time with me, if you were around more," Draco said feeling hurt by this whole exchange, but he didn't want to show it.

"Well I'm around tonight. I thought we could blow off some steam and get some drinks. God knows I need them after today," Harry sighed.

"I'm sorry you had such a bad day, Harry. But I can't go out. Maybe another time?" Hermione said not wanting to change her plans.

"Alright. If you're sure you'd rather be with _him_ ," Harry said distastefully.

"You know, Hermione, it's okay. If you wanna be with your other mates, we can always do the go-Karts another time. I don't want to stand in the way," Draco said, holding up his hands.

"Don't be silly. I already promised you we'd go. Harry understands, right?" she looked at him hopefully.

"Uh, actually Harry doesn't understand any of this, but it's okay. Another time?" Harry shook his head.

"I'm sorry. Definitely another time. I've missed you," Hermione smiled at her friend.

He smiled back and nodded.

"Okay, another time. You two have fun, I guess."

And with that, he left the office quickly before he said something more he might regret. He didn't understand how or why Hermione would choose to go out with Draco over him. But apparently it was happening. He just shook his head and mumbled to himself about her being crazy as he stalked off.

Draco looked at Hermione who seemed more than flustered.

"You didn't have to blow him off for me. I wager you'd rather spend the evening with him and what's her name, than me," he said softly.

"That's not true. I-I mean I like hanging out with them. But I already made my promise to you. I don't want to go back on a promise," she said trying to reassure him.

"You don't have to feel obligated just because you promised. I can handle a change of plans," he told her seriously.

"Draco, I didn't want to change my plans. I can see Harry another time. But I don't think he really understands our friendship," she admitted quietly.

"I guess it is pretty strange to think of us being mates, isn't it?"

"It really is."

"But it works. I mean, we have fun together right?" he asked hopefully.

"We do. Loads of fun. And honestly I'd rather do the go-Karts than the drinking with Harry," she said trying to ease his mind.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. If I went with Harry and Ginny it'd just be me all night drinking alone while they laughed at inside couple jokes and Harry talks about his work too much. I'd much rather hang with you," she smiled, and meant every word.

"Good. Because I'd really hate to miss the go-Karts. But I was trying to be selfless and noble for a change. I'm not sure I like it," he laughed slightly.

"You being selfless and noble _is_ a strange concept," she admitted with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I don't think it's for me. I'm glad you turned him down. Because otherwise I would have been really insulted and hurt," he confessed.

"Really? You would have been hurt?" she asked quietly, startled by his honesty.

"Yes. I would have been. I mean, it sucks if someone chooses someone else's company over yours. Especially if you already have plans. I'm not a robot. I do have feelings," he pointed out.

"I know you do. I guess I just didn't expect you to admit you would have been hurt by it."

"Well now you know. But it doesn't matter because I win. And I get to spend the evening with the best girl I know," he smiled broadly.

She just smiled back at him and didn't really know what else to say. There was something so human about Draco now. In school he was nothing but a raging bully, and now he was just a person. Like everyone else. And he made himself vulnerable to her on more than one occasion. It was startling to her to realize how much it endeared him to her. But she didn't want to tell him that. It was something she'd keep to herself. But she found herself even more excited for tonight and their quasi friend date. It was going to be a lot of fun. But she couldn't believe she'd chosen Draco's company over Harry's. It was unprecedented. And it really made her question her feelings. The waters were all muddy when it came to Draco. She swore they were only friends, but her heart warmed at the thought of him. She didn't know what to do about it.

Draco was silent contemplating what it must mean that Hermione chose him over Harry. Why would she do that if she didn't really like him? Of course she claimed they were friends, and friends didn't cancel plans at the last minute just because a better friend came along. At least not in polite circles. Maybe she was just being polite? But part of him really wished it meant more than that. He couldn't stop thinking about her and he wanted her to be thinking of him that way too. He just had no idea if she'd ever see him beyond a friend. It was maddening.

But once their working day came to an end, they both headed home to change. A go-Kart track wasn't the place for business suits, so they agreed he'd meet up with her at her place later on. When he arrived in jeans and a t-shirt, she was struck by how utterly Muggle he looked now. His hair was messy and hanging in his face and he had on trainers instead of loafers. She realized that he'd never looked more handsome as he did right now. And she hoped he liked what he saw when he noted her blue top and jeans with holes in the knees. She felt like the old Draco would have made a comment about her looking poor or like a beggar, but the new Draco just smiled and said he liked her shoes. She looked at her shoes and noted they were just blue sandals and nothing special. But she grinned over the compliment anyway.

"I like your shoes too. Are they new?" she asked as she motioned for him to come inside her flat.

"Yeah, they are new actually. I figured this place was even more casual than a bowling alley and I wanted to fit in," he said, almost awkwardly.

"Well you look fantastic. What did you do with your hair this time?" she asked curiously.

"My hair? Nothing. I did absolutely nothing with it. I just washed it and went. Does it look too messy and ridiculous?" he wondered self-consciously.

"No, I love it. In fact, you should wear it like that more often," she noted with a grin. "Do you like my jeans? Do they look hip or just like I'm incredibly poor?"

He laughed and shook his head.

"I think they're hip. I wouldn't know really. But I like them. It's an interesting look. Did you buy them already worn out?"

"Yes, they came this way."

"Muggles and their weird fashions. I noticed some jeans like that where I shopped and they cost more than the intact jeans that didn't look like you fished them out of a Goodwill bin."

"So then I look like I dressed myself from Goodwill?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I didn't mean that! You're twisting my words. It's just it amazed me that the worn jeans cost more," he clarified.

"I guess it takes money to get the holes in the knees just right," she said with a smile.

"Shall we get going? I am really eager to try these little cars out. I've never done anything like this before," he told her.

"Yeah, I'm ready. Just hold my arm and we can go," she instructed him.

They apparated away from her flat and into an alley by the fun center she knew about that had the little cars and miniature golf plus an arcade. It was the ultimate Muggle adventure and she was eager to show Draco parts of her world that she had growing up. And for his part, he was eager to see how it was Muggles spent their time if not in bars. That was really the only places he had gone for the last three years. Bars and nightclubs. But Hermione was showing him a whole new side to life. One that his parents probably never would understand. But he didn't care. In fact, he'd been dodging his father's owls for the last few days. He said he had something important to talk to Draco about, but Draco never responded. He was worried what it would be about and just didn't want to deal with his father right now. But he knew eventually he'd have to. But for tonight, he didn't want to think about his father at all. He just wanted to focus on the fun.

They walked in and went to the little booth where you could buy tickets for the go-Karts, golf, and bumper boats. Draco had never even heard of a bumper boat so he told Hermione that they had to do that too. He wanted to pilot his own little boat. So they bought tickets for all the attractions and went to the go-Karts first. Little kids were waiting in line to go and Draco and Hermione were only a few of the adults who actually wished to do this. But they didn't care if they were the only ones. It was going to be fun. They got up to the front of the line and each got into a go-Kart side by side.

"I'm totally going to win this race," Draco said self-assuredly.

"We'll see about that. Try not to crash into the piles of tires," she stuck out her tongue at him.

And then they were off. Draco had no idea in hell what he was doing. He just knew he had to push down on the gas pedal and not stop, even if he felt like he was losing control of the car. He didn't want to lose. He actually plowed into some kid and the kid went skidding off to the side, as Draco sped past. He didn't even look to see if the kid was alright because he was so focused on the fact that Hermione was behind him. And he had to keep her there. He was not going to lose. But when he rounded a sharp corner, he lost control of his car and it crashed into the dreaded pile of tires that she'd warned him about. He didn't know how to reverse the car at first so he was stuck and watched as Hermione flipped him and sped past him. But he finally got himself out of the mess and came creeping back up behind her. There was someone else in his way though, so he just crashed into them and made them skid out, so he could glide past. He was a brutal driver and would likely never be allowed a real driver's license. But he was having a blast. He finally caught up to Hermione and they were neck in neck going around the track. He swerved over and knocked into her, trying to slow her down. But she just swerved back and hit him hard and he went skidding off into the tires again. She was going to pay for that later, he thought. But he got himself moving again and then one of the kids who he'd knocked to the side came up behind him and crashed into him. He wasn't expecting that. But he swerved around and cut the kid off and sped up faster to get near Hermione. But it was too late. The course had ended and she crossed the finish line with the checkered flag waving and he came in second place. Once again, she smoked his ass at something. But he thought he gave it a good effort.

When they got out of the cars, Hermione was doing her victory dance in his face.

"You lost, sucker!" she gloated.

"You just got lucky. I was driving like crazy. Did you see me hit all those people?" he asked with a laugh.

"Yes! I thought for sure they were going to stop the race and kick you out. You're not supposed to crash into people!" she scolded him.

"Hey you hit me too! Don't act like you're innocent. If I got kicked out, so should you," he said giving her a look.

"You're just mad I beat you," she stuck out her tongue at him.

"You're gonna regret it. Those boat things? That's gonna be my specialty. I can feel it. You'll rue the day you ever crossed me," he said evilly.

"You think I'm scared of you?"

"You should be."

"I'm not."

"Let's go bump boats," he said taking her hand and walking with her through the park. She didn't protest his hand holding and he smiled over the feel of her tiny hand in his. She gripped him tightly as their fingers intertwined and they just glanced at each other and smiled.

Hermione knew she shouldn't let him hold her hand like that, but it felt so nice. And she told herself that friends did stuff like that. It was a friendly gesture. Only both of them knew it spoke volumes as to their true feelings. But they weren't ready to admit that to each other. Not now, and maybe not ever.

When they got to the bumper boats, Draco was disappointed that they didn't look like actual boats. They were more like a round inner tube with an engine and a seat in the middle. But he watched the people purposely crashing into other people and getting them all wet and he realized this was gonna be a so much fun. He liked playing dirty and there was nothing better than ramming someone with a boat. He could barely contain his excitement as they waited in line for their turn.

"You are so gonna regret winning that other race now. I'm gonna splash the shit out of you with these boat things," he told Hermione happily.

"Dream on. I'm gonna splash the shit out of you first," she said haughtily.

Once they boarded their boats all bets were off. Everyone was fair game, but Draco was going to concentrate on getting Hermione as good as he could. Other people were bumping into him though making it much tougher to get going than he wished, but once he broke free from the crowd he jetted straight for Hermione and she gunned her motor straight for him. They collided roughly and both gave themselves whiplash in the process. But a huge wave crashed over both of them so it was rather a draw than a victory. But Draco wasn't giving up. He kept following her around and crashing into her, while she attempted to get away and not crash into anyone else. But other people were after both of them and they both took some hard hits. Draco forgot all about making Hermione pay and just wanted anyone pay for hitting him. So he revved his motor and smashed right into some little kid who had rammed him earlier. He thought the poor kid might fall out of the boat if not for the seatbelt. But he had no mercy. He kept ramming until the boy's father presumably smashed into Draco and sent him careening into the side of the lagoon. Before he could get his bearings, Hermione snuck up on him and rammed his boat again into the side and splashed Draco right in the face. She was laughing mighty hard at that, but he got her back. He zoomed out of the corner and pummeled the side of Hermione's boat sending a huge tidal wave over the top of her. All too soon, the boat ride ended just when Draco was getting his groove. But he hadn't had that much fun since he used to play Quidditch.

They got out of the boats and poor Hermione was soaking wet. Her hair that she'd meticulously smoothed down for the evening was now a bushy disaster. Draco was wet too, but not near as bad as her. She just looked at him and scowled as he smirked.

"You suck the big one, Malfoy," she said trying to dry her hair off with her shirt.

"I told you I was going to annihilate you with these boat things. I'm good at boating," he said proudly.

"You're good at crashing into shit. I'd be scared to be on a real boat with you. Or in a real car."

"Oh come on. I wouldn't crash a real boat or a car. I'm sure you'd be perfectly safe with me," he smiled.

"I'm all wet now. And we still have tickets for mini golf," she noted.

"So? You'll dry. And let's face it. That hair? It's adorable," he laughed at her.

"Fuck you."

"I only wish," he said with a devious smile.

"What?"

"Never mind. Let's go play mini golf," he quickly changed the subject, not having believed he almost gave his true feelings away like that. He _did_ wish she'd fuck him. But that was probably never going to happen. Especially if her shocked expression meant anything.

They went to the golf course and got their balls and their golf clubs. They set out onto the course and neither one of them were any good at this. Hermione had played a million times, but not in years, and she'd never been very good at it. So they were on an even keel with this activity. But Draco was getting bored when his ball didn't magically go in the hole, so she caught him pulling out his wand and making it move to better shots or to get a hole in one.

"Hey, you're cheating!" she said as she caught him red handed.

"I can't help it! I don't know how to play this fucking game. It's much easier to use magic," he insisted.

"But it's not called magic golf. It's mini golf! There's no cheating," she pouted.

"I'll let you use your wand too if you want?" he offered.

"Someone might see us, you realize?" she scolded him.

"Oh fine. No wands. Party pooper. I gotta say the golf part is boring. I liked the boats and the cars much better," he informed her.

"You wanna skip the golf then and go into the arcade? Maybe that's more to your liking? You can win me something," she smiled at him.

"Alright. Let's chuck these stupid golf clubs. Whoever decided this was a sport must have been very high," he chuckled.

"You'd sing a different tune if you were actually good at it."

"True. Maybe? But I'd rather do something else. Show me what's in the arcade place," he said taking her hand once again and holding it as they strolled into the large building that house all the games you could play for tickets that you traded in for prizes.

Once inside they traded their money for tokens and each set off in search of fun games to play. Draco liked the ski ball a lot and he was quite good at it. He kept getting the top score and racked up a bunch of tickets. Hermione was doing her damndest to whack a mole for tickets. She was actually quite good at it because her hand eye coordination was excellent. They met up again in the middle and showed off all their tickets. They had quite a lot but not enough for a good prize yet. So Draco got more tokens and they both went to the ski ball game and played their hearts out next to each other. Hermione wasn't quite as skilled as Draco with this, but she was pretty close. Once they deemed they had enough tickets they went to the prize counter. They had enough for a colored slinky and a small stuffed bear. Draco handed her the bear and kept the slinky for himself at her insistence. She didn't want him to walk away empty handed. But when they got back outside they looked at their little prizes and laughed.

"All that money I spent just for these two pieces of shit?" Draco shook his head.

"I know! But it's the thrill of winning something that's exciting, isn't it?" she told him.

"I could have bought you something better than a rinky dink little teddy bear with the money I spent," he scoffed.

"But wasn't it fun?" she offered hopefully.

"It was fun. I have to admit. This whole evening has been perfect. And I thank you for choosing me tonight," he added softly.

"Draco, I didn't _choose_ you. There was no choice. We already had plans. I'd never break them. Not even for Harry," she said, touching his arm.

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"That must mean you kind of like me a lot huh?" he asked with a silly grin on his face.

"I like you a decent amount. Let's not get crazy," she said with her own silly grin.

"Come on, you want an ice cream? I want an ice cream. I'm not ready to leave yet," he said pulling her along with him as they headed for the snack shack.

He ordered up two ice cream cones, chocolate of course, and handed one to her and he took the other. They walked over to a bench to sit down and eat and they sat in companionable silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. Draco had honestly never had this much fun before in his life. He was so crazy about Hermione, he couldn't even see straight. But he had no idea if she'd ever see him as more than a friend. And Hermione kept wondering if she should throw all her rules out the window and just kiss him. It seemed like the thing to do. He obviously liked her a lot, and the feeling was quite mutual. But she was afraid of complicating things at work. What if they didn't work out and they still had to see each other every day? What if her bosses found out and she got in trouble? There were so many reasons to keep it platonic, but her heart kept tugging at her to go for it. But Draco had no idea she was thinking that. He just thought he made her nervous and that's why she got so quiet all the time when they'd share moments together. He was clueless and she wasn't clueing him in. So they were both suffering in silence.

Once they ate their ice creams, it was late enough that it was time to call the night. Draco wanted to go back to her place again, but she told him it wasn't really necessary. She was tired and he should go home. What he didn't realize was that she was scared if he went home with her, she'd jump his bones. So she felt like it was a safer choice to go home alone. He just thought she was sick of him or something and didn't want to spend any more time with him. And that stung. But he bucked it up and smiled at her anyway.

"I guess I'll see you Monday then?" he said hopefully.

"Bright and early. Be prepared to work because we have several trials coming up," she said slipping into work mode because she was so nervous that she was going to kiss him if he didn't leave right away.

"Alright. Well enjoy your teddy bear," he said pointing the sad little thing in her hands.

"Enjoy your slinky," she laughed slightly.

"I will," he smiled. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

"I had a great time," he said trying to draw out the goodbye.

"I did too. We'll have to do something else soon."

"Definitely. Okay, I'm leaving."

"Bye."

And with that he watched her apparate away from the alley where they stood and he just sighed and realized he was in way over his head. He was definitely falling in love with her. He didn't plan it. And he didn't want it. But it was happening anyway. And that's what he was thinking of when he apparated to his home and landed in the living room. He jumped back though and dropped the slinky and aimed his wand at the sofa.

"Who the hell is there?" he said, noting a shadowy figure the instant he got into the room. His instincts were sharp as ever.

"It's me. Lower your wand," Draco's father said stepping out of the darkness and into the light. "You didn't answer any of my owls so I came to see you. Where have you been?"

Draco felt his heart drop to his knees. He kind of wished it had been a burglar rather than his father. How long had he even been sitting in a dark house? Why didn't he turn a light on? But none of that mattered because apparently whatever Draco's father had to say couldn't wait. But Draco didn't want to hear it, nor did he want to answer any questions about where he'd been. So he just stood there and stared at his father wordlessly and braced himself for something he knew he probably wasn't going to like.

 **To be continued…. Please leave feedback! I love reviews! They keep me writing faster….**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters here. I just use them for my own amusement. JK Rowling and co. own them No copyright infringement intended.

 **Summary:** When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.

 **Author's note:** Lyrics by Kelly Clarkson

 **Wildest Dreams**

 _I want you to know  
That it doesn't matter  
Where we take this road  
Someone's gotta go  
And I want you to know  
You couldn't have loved me better  
But I want you to move on  
So I'm already gone_

Hermione was on cloud nine after her date with Draco. She couldn't help herself from fantasizing about him all night long and she barely got any real sleep. And when she did sleep, he was in her dreams too. She was embarrassed how naughty the dreams were. But she couldn't help herself. She had fallen hard for him, and despite all her protestations to the contrary, she wanted to be more than just his friend. Only she had no idea how to tell him that. She was way too nervous to just blurt it out. But part of her really wanted to. She was tired of pretending she didn't feel anything for him. And she was pretty sure he felt the same about her. And that's what she was thinking as she lounged in her apartment on a lazy Saturday morning, half reading the paper and half eating a piece of toast. Her stomach was all tied in knots over Draco, so it was hard to eat. She just wished that she didn't have to wait until Monday to see him. But she didn't want to intrude on him and the fact of the matter was, she didn't know where he lived. He'd never invited her there. He'd always come to her place. She supposed she could owl him and ask him if he was busy or if he wanted to hang out. But that might seem desperate. So she nixed that idea and just sighed and laid her head down on the table. Just then there was a knock at her door and she seemed puzzled by it. She wasn't expecting company and the only person she could imagine it would be would be Harry. Maybe he'd come to give her a hard time over her date with Draco? If so, she really didn't want to hear it. But she got up and looked out the peephole and saw it was actually Draco. She smiled and opened the door and wished she had run a brush through her hair first.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him curiously as he stood facing her.

"I needed to talk to someone. Can I come in?" he asked, looking disheveled and Hermione realized he was still wearing the same outfit from last night. Did he not even go to bed?

"What's wrong? You look like someone died," she noted worriedly.

"Not exactly. It's just my father. He was waiting for me last night when I got home. I'd been ignoring his owls, so he decided to come to my place and wait for me. God only knows how long he was there. I never asked. I didn't get a chance to. He hit me over the head with this stupid idea and I didn't know what to even say," Draco explained as he walked in and began pacing her living room.

"Why don't you sit down and tell me about it? You're wearing a hole in my carpet," she told him, taking his arm and leading him to the couch.

He sat down and put his head in his hands.

"Hermione, what am I supposed to do?" he asked desperately.

"About what?" she was confused.

"My father wants me to get married. To some girl I don't even know. I can't do that, can I?" he asked sadly.

"What? I thought you said you dodged that bullet by getting the job?" she asked feeling her heart lurch into her stomach. Draco couldn't marry someone else! Not when he so clearly belonged with her. But she couldn't tell him that yet.

"I thought I'd dodged the bullet too, but apparently this girl's father wants to combine empires with my father. And I have to marry his daughter in exchange for the deal. I'm a bargaining chip. Not even a real person. My father doesn't even care how I feel," he lamented softly.

"You have to say no. I-I mean you can't get married! That's crazy," she protested vehemently.

"I don't think I have a choice, Hermione," he said despondently.

"But what about our friendship?" she asked just as despondently. "Will that end?"

He looked at her and held her hands tightly.

"No, it won't end. I won't let it end. I don't care what happens, I don't want to lose what we have."

"Neither do I."

"My father can't choose my friends," he said adamantly.

"But he's gonna choose your _wife_? How does that make sense? You have to say no, Draco," she urged him.

She couldn't lose him now. Not when she'd just found him. How could he even entertain the idea of marrying someone else? It must mean he didn't really want to be with her after all, or he'd fight this a lot harder, she thought. But Draco didn't know there was anything to fight for. All he knew was that Hermione was his friend. And he wouldn't lose her friendship just because his father had some hair brained business idea that included Draco marrying some idiots daughter. If he knew how Hermione felt it would make a world of difference to him. But he wasn't about to throw away his trust fund and his family for a friendship he could easily keep once he was married. At least that was his thinking.

He tried to explain it to her.

"I can't say no. If I do, the money leaves. And I need the money. And I promise you we'll still be friends."

"But I highly doubt your wife will let you go gallivanting around town with me, while she stays at home doing whatever high society bitches do. This is absurd. Everything will change! You can't do it," she said with tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't help but let them fall.

He wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of his hand. He held her hands in his own and just looked down at them, fingers intertwined. So close, yet so far apart still. He wanted to tell her he loved her, but he feared it was a mistake. And now with this happening, so what if he loved her? He couldn't be with her. His father had other plans. Draco knew this in the back of his mind all along, but he chose to ignore it. He knew that even if he dodged the arranged marriage bullet, his parents would never approve of Hermione in his life. But he thought he could conceivably live his life in secret like he did for years and they'd never have to find out. But now his father was all up in his business and he said Draco had to move quickly before the offer was given to someone else. His father expected him to start wooing this other girl immediately. And he wanted to vomit at the thought of dating anyone else but who he had been dating already. Even if they were friend dates. He was in love with her. He only wished he had the guts to tell her, but it didn't make a difference in the end. He was still supposed to marry someone else. And he didn't know what to say to Hermione to make that better.

Finally he spoke.

"I don't know if she'll let me go around town with you or not, but I'm the man of the house and I can do as I please. That's how things work with my people. My dad never gave a fuck what my mum thought. He just did whatever he wanted to do. And maybe I'll just be like that?" he offered, unsure of what else to say.

"So you want to be a jerk then? You want to treat your wife like garbage?" she asked tearfully.

"I don't want a sodding wife at all! I don't know what else to say. I'm afraid," he confessed with his own tears in his eyes.

"Afraid of what?"

"Losing everything. Losing my money, losing you…all of it. I don't want to lose anything, but I'm gonna lose something I hold dear."

"You won't lose me. I'll still be here. But I don't want you to treat your wife poorly for me. Maybe I'll like her too? Maybe we'll all be friends?" she said trying to garner some hope in the situation.

"I doubt you'll like her. I doubt _I'll_ like her. Probably just some snobby prissy thing that does whatever she's told. I can't stand women like that," he said shaking his head.

"Do you really need your father's money that bad?" she asked, not understanding how money could matter so much.

"I do need it. It's my lifeline. But it's not just the money. I love my mum. And if I go against my father's wishes, I won't see her anymore. He probably won't allow it because I'll be disowned. And I know maybe that doesn't sound traumatizing for you, but it is for me. I did everything wrong and everything I could, just to save my family. My mum especially. And if I lose her because of this ridiculousness, then it was all for naught. You have to understand that it's deeper than just money. It's family. You lost your family. Do you want me to lose mine too?" he asked, hoping to make her understand his plight.

She listened to what he said and she nodded her head. She did understand. Draco didn't want to lose his mum. And if he got disowned, she wouldn't be allowed to speak to him anymore. That was a travesty in her eyes, but she knew it happened to people. It had happened to Draco's mum's sister. She was disowned and she never spoke to any of her family ever again. For her, it had been worth it. But for Draco, maybe not? Maybe she wasn't worth him losing his family over? She should just let him go because it would be the right thing to do. She removed her hands from his and scooted away from him on the couch.

"Then you should do whatever you feel is right, Draco. Don't let me stop you. If we stay friends, that's wonderful. But I'll also understand if it's not possible. I'm willing to let you go," she said stoically, when inside she felt like bursting into tears.

"I don't want to be let go," he whispered.

"You have to do what's right for you. You have to do what you need to do in order to be happy. And if that means marrying this wench, then so be it," she said bitterly, even if she was trying to be supportive.

"Wench eh? You've already decided you hate her, didn't you?" he asked with some slight amusement, even if nothing about this situation was funny.

"I don't presume to know anything about her honestly. It's just I have notions of what women like that would be like. And it's not very glowing. I know I said maybe we'd all be friends, but you're probably right when you said that would never happen. Any woman that would marry a man she didn't even know, just because her father said so, isn't someone I'd have the slightest bit in common with."

"I don't want to do it, Hermione."

"If you don't want to do it, then you don't do it. But it sounds like you have your reasons for going through with it. So just do what you need to do," she said sadly as she rose from the couch and moved away from him.

She couldn't be near him now. Not when she wanted so much more and he was going to marry someone else. He was going 'woo' someone else. And she'd be forgotten. Despite his protests that they'd remain friends, she knew that wouldn't happen. He'd forget all about her in time. But she'd never forget him. And she knew this would end badly. It was one of the reasons she kept trying to distance herself from him in the first place. She could smell a broken heart coming on and she couldn't bear it. But it had happened anyway, despite her brilliant plan to keep things platonic. All she could do now was to be there in whatever capacity he wanted her to be there for him. But it was probably going to be a strictly boss/employee arrangement now. The way it should have always been.

"You're acting like I'm chucking you aside. I swear I'm not. We'll still be friends. I know you think I'm full of shit, but if my father controls who I marry, then he damn sure does not control who my friends are. I'll see to it. He can't stop me from seeing my boss, right? He just doesn't have to know that we hang out, outside of work. No one has to know that," he said seriously.

"Why do I feel like a dirty secret now?"

"You're not. Not at all. I care about you. You're my best friend," he admitted earnestly.

"I am?"

"Yes."

"I didn't realize."

"Well I'm telling you now. And I won't lose my best friend over any of this. Just please forgive me for doing what I have to do."

"You don't need to ask me for forgiveness. You just have to follow your heart. And if your heart says this is what you want, then you have to do it. I won't stand in the way," she told him with tears in her eyes again. They wouldn't stop falling.

"Do you promise you're still there for me? That I can talk to you like always?" he asked quietly.

"Yes. Of course. I'll always be here, in whatever way you need me," she said wiping her eyes.

"That's all I needed to hear I guess. That you wouldn't abandon me. I-I don't know if I can do this without you in my life too," he confessed.

"Yes, well, I'm here. But I should get myself showered and dressed. And you look like hell, Draco. Did you even sleep at all?" she asked, trying to get rid of him so she could properly cry her eyes out in peace.

"I didn't sleep. Not a wink. I came over here as soon as I thought you'd be awake. Do you really have to get dressed now? We can't talk more?" he asked hopefully.

"I have a lot of errands to do today. And what more can we talk about? I think we've said it all," she shrugged and lied about everything.

"Alright. Well if you want to talk more, we can go out tonight for dinner?" he offered, wishing she'd just say yes.

"I don't know. I'll probably be busy all day and too tired to go out. Plus I thought you had to start 'wooing' the new girl?" she added aloofly.

"I'm supposed to take her out, but I don't want to. I'd rather go out with you."

"Well that's a silly plan then. If you're supposed to meet her and take her out, then you should do it. I'll always be around at another more convenient time."

"I'll miss you," he whispered.

"I'll miss you too. But we'll see each other Monday, silly. It's not the end of the world," she tried to convince both of them of that fact. But it felt like the end of the world to both of them.

"I guess I'll go then," he said softly rising from the couch despite his longing to stay there.

"I'll see you at work," she said politely, trying not to burst into tears.

"Yeah, work. I'll see you."

And with that he apparated out of her apartment and she just threw herself on the couch and began sobbing. Everything she'd kept pent up came spilling out of her. How could this be happening? How could Draco be marrying someone else? And she knew they'd never stay friends. Not really. Things at work were about to become very awkward and they never even had an actual relationship. All they had was a friendship. But it meant so much more to her. And she thought it meant more to him too. But it obviously didn't. Otherwise he wouldn't be making such a huge mistake. She laid down and cried for what never was, and never could be again. And once those floodgates opened, there was no stopping them.

When Draco got home, he knew he should try and sleep a little or maybe get a shower, but all he could do was sit numbly on his couch. He felt like he'd already lost Hermione and he never even had a chance to have her. She was acting coldly towards him and he didn't like it. He feared everything would change with his bad news, and he was probably right. Now the only person he'd ever really loved in his life was distancing herself from him, so he could 'woo' some other girl he didn't even give a fuck for. He wiped his eyes furiously and tried not to cry. The whole situation was messed up from beginning to end. Why was he born into a family like this? Why did he have to care about losing money and his mum? If he didn't give a fuck for either of those things, he could just live his life the way he wanted to. But he felt like he needed the money, and his mum wasn't a person he felt he could lose. He loved her too much. Which made him wonder if maybe he talked to her, she could fix this mess? He hoped so. So he quickly wiped his eyes and apparated to his family manor and went in the front door. He called out for his mother and she came running as soon as she heard his voice.

"Draco! Darling! What a surprise!" she said happily. But then she noted his ragged appearance and he looked like he hadn't combed his hair or shaved. She got concerned. "What's wrong, dear? You look dreadful."

"Mum, did Father tell you his plans for me?" he asked sniffling a little and wiping his eyes.

"Plans? You mean Astoria? She's a lovely girl. Draco, you'll be smitten. I'm sure of it," his mum said cheerily.

"Astoria? That's her name? Father never even told me her name. He just said I was marrying some bint I didn't even know," he said bitterly.

"Draco! Don't use such language. She's a fine woman. A lady. And you should treat her as such and not call her names," his mother chastised him.

"Mum, I don't even know her! I don't care about her feelings. I thought maybe you'd be on my side with this," he said sadly.

"I am on your side, Draco. And I believe this girl will make you very happy. She's quite pretty and well bred. Your children will be amazing. She's an outstanding witch too."

"Mum, I don't know her! Don't you get it? Why would I want to marry a girl I don't even know?" he asked desperately.

"Well you get to know her. That's the entire point of asking her for a date. You'll grow to know each other," she explained.

"But Mum, I don't want to be with her. I love someone else," he dropped the bombshell on his mother knowing she'd likely keep his secret if he asked nicely. She was just on board the Astoria train because his father was so gung ho about it.

"You love someone else? Who?" she asked with astonishment. "It's not a Muggle is it? I know you spent some time with Muggles, but Draco, you can't honestly love a Muggle!"

"She's not a Muggle, Mum. She's a witch. I work with her. We're just friends, but I'm in love with her. I've been in love with her for a long time. Can't you please talk Father out of this mess? For my sake?" he pleaded with her.

"Oh. In love with someone else. Who is she, Draco? Why haven't you brought her around?" his mum wanted to know.

"Because I said we were just friends. But I was hoping to change all that. She's really brilliant. I know you'd like her if you gave her a chance. But you see, I can't marry Astoria because I'm already spoken for," he tried to explain.

"Who is she, Draco? You never answered that question."

"It's Hermione Granger, Mum. I love her. I think some part of me has always loved her. And I think maybe she might feel the same. Don't I deserve to be happy?" he wondered.

" _Hermione Granger_? Have you lost your mind, Draco? She's a mudblood! And she's one of Harry Potter's hero pals. What on earth would she be doing with you? That's ridiculous. You can't _love_ her."

"Why not? Just because you think she's lesser than us? She's not! Don't call her names, because I love her. Don't you get it? I'm in love with her. She's the one I want to be with. You have to somehow convince Father to leave me alone," he begged her.

"Draco, stop it. You may have feelings for this Granger girl, but they'll pass. Astoria is your future. The sooner you accept that, the happier you'll be."

"So then you don't give a fuck about my feelings either then?" he asked hopelessly.

"Stop using foul language! Of course I care about your feelings, but this is just a passing fancy. You said yourself you're only friends with her. Astoria will be a fine wife. And she's of your breeding. Did you think I'd support you in this dalliance with Ms. Granger? I would never go against your father like that. You should know better. Don't you realize what this business merger will mean for us? We'll never have to worry about money again!" she told him heatedly.

"As if we fucking worry about money now? Get a grip, Mum. I don't care about the business merger or Astoria or Father's wishes. I want out of this mess!" he practically screamed at her.

She just stood there and said nothing for the longest time. She wasn't used to her only child speaking to her in such a manner. She finally composed herself and looked at him.

"Draco, you will stop using filthy language in my presence. And you will do as your father has asked you to do. It's not really that hard. Now if that's all, I have a bridge tournament that I'm late for. I need to go," she said haughtily, apparating away from him and just leaving him standing in the foyer by himself.

He had no idea if his father was even there or not. But he didn't care. He didn't want to see him at all. He thought his mum would be more understanding but apparently that was a dream. His father had corrupted her so much that she didn't have her own mind anymore, yet again. After the war, she had been tougher and stood up to him. She was angry. But now she just bowed down like she used to. And Draco wanted to be sick from it. He just apparated out of their house and back to his own and he sat on his couch and cried. He cried for a life that wasn't his own. And never would be. Not unless he actually stood up to them and had some backbone. But he was just like his mother. Angry at first, but in the end, bowing down to his father's wishes. Lucius Malfoy always got what he wanted. And Draco knew that. He only hoped his mum would be in his corner but she wasn't. So that meant he was all alone in protest of this. And he decided that without any real reason to fight it, he'd just give in. Hermione didn't love him. He may have loved her, but to her, they were just friends. So he may as well marry this Astoria girl. Why not? What did he have to lose at this point? He had more to lose by not seeking her out than he did by wooing her. So he was going to be a sheep and do whatever he was asked to do. He just wished things were different with Hermione. If she loved him, it'd make all the difference in the world. But she didn't. So he'd just go with Astoria. It was the only choice he really could make.

 **To be continued…. Please leave feedback! I love reviews! They keep me writing faster….**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters here. I just use them for my own amusement. JK Rowling and co. own them No copyright infringement intended.

 **Summary:** When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.

 **Author's note:** Lyrics by Kelly Clarkson

 **Wildest Dreams**

 _Looking at you makes it harder  
But I know that you'll find another  
That doesn't always make you wanna cry  
Started with a perfect kiss  
Then we could feel the poison set in  
Perfect couldn't keep this love alive_

 _You know that I love you so  
I love you enough to let you go_

A week went by and Hermione treated Draco like he was nothing more than her employee. She didn't even ask him about his private life, and he didn't offer any details. It was ridiculously quiet and uncomfortable inside their office and Draco was going mad. It was obvious Hermione was mad at him, but he wasn't entirely sure why. He was just doing what she herself said he should do. He was taking out Astoria. Even if he didn't want to. But she was no Hermione, that's for sure. She was pretty enough and pleasant enough that he didn't hate her. But he had no real interest in her either. His heart lay elsewhere. But every time he tried to talk to Hermione, who claimed they were still friends, she shut him down. He didn't get it. He wanted an explanation though, but he was afraid to ask for it. The only thing she'd really said to him that was personal was she asked if he'd met his wife to be, and he said yes. And after that, she wanted nothing to do with him. He tried making jokes and laughing with her, but she wouldn't have it. And one day he walked into the office and found all the drawings he'd done and the picture of them bowling, missing from his desk area. He asked her where they went and she said she got rid of them. And he didn't know what else to say because she seemed so angry when she said it. It was a running joke that she'd try and hide the bowling picture, but this time it was no joke. It wasn't anywhere around and he deduced she must have destroyed it. But why would she do that if they were supposed to still be friends? He didn't understand, and she wasn't likely to make him understand at any point, given her behavior. She wanted zero to do with him. And he was not okay with that. He finally got the nerve to say something to her after an entire week went by with her giving him the cold shoulder.

"What is your fucking problem?" he asked her as she'd just ignored his attempt at humor once again.

She just looked at him and didn't say anything right away. Then she just asked him how Astoria was. He glared at her and shook his head.

"Why are you asking about her? You know I don't give a fuck for her. Why are you treating me like this?" he asked somewhat desperately.

"I don't know what you mean. I'm just doing my work. I'm sorry if I don't have time for personal drama," she said unhelpfully.

"Bullshit you don't. This is all just personal drama. Why would you ask me about her if it wasn't personal?" he inquired angrily.

"I just wondered how you were faring with her. True love must be blooming by now," she said snottily.

"Right. True love. That's not even close to how I feel, and you know it."

"I don't know what you feel anymore. I don't think I ever really did."

"I don't love her. You know that. I'm just taking her out to try and meet her somewhat. If I'm going to marry her, I have to know her a little bit!" he protested.

"Fine. I don't really care. It's your business. And I'm in the business of putting case files together. And if you know what's good for you, you'll shut up and keep working," she said heatedly.

She wasn't going to give him an inch when it came to this. She was furious and wanted nothing to do with him anymore. But it wasn't really his fault. He was just doing what she told him to do. But the fact that he did it so easily upset Hermione. She wanted him to protest more. But instead he just went along with it and started courting this fucking imbecile named Astoria. Hermione hated her already just purely for spite. She didn't need to know anything about her. Draco broke her concentration again though.

"I don't understand what's got your knickers in a twist. I'm only doing what you told me to do. You said I had to do what was necessary, and this is necessary. And why the fuck did you throw away that picture of us I had on my desk?" he asked getting mad at her.

She sighed.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please. As if someone else came in and took the photo. I know you stole it and hid it or burned it or whatever. Why did you do that?" he asked desperately.

"Because it was stupid to have it there. Along with your dumb drawings. I got rid of all of it. Now you can make room for pictures of Astoria," she said distastefully.

"Right, because that's what I want to look at. Pictures of some bint I barely know. You're bent, you know that? I don't understand you and right now, I don't care to," he said throwing up his hands in defeat while sulking at his desk.

She just sat there and stared at him wordlessly. She didn't know why she was being this way exactly except her feelings were incredibly hurt. She wanted Draco to put up a fight for her instead of just bowing down and taking out this Astoria bird. It made no sense how he could go from being her best friend one minute, to shagging some bird he didn't even know. Or at least she assumed he was shagging her. She didn't really ask. But maybe she should have. So she picked her chin up and got the courage to ask him.

"So have you shagged her yet?" she asked with her nose in the air.

"What? Are you mad? Shagged her? I've not even kissed her. I don't want to. Don't you understand that I'm being forced to take her out? I'd rather be with you," he said sincerely.

She melted a little at his words and softened her stance.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," he said quietly. "I thought you knew that."

"I don't know what I know right now, honestly. I just know that this feels bad, Draco. It feels like I'm suffocating and I can't breathe," she said with tears in her eyes.

He got up from his desk and walked over to her. He put his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, don't talk like that. It's not the end of the world. And it's definitely not the end of us. I promised you we'd still be friends, and yet you're the one snubbing me. I don't understand," he said to her softly.

"I'm just not okay with this. I'm trying to be, but I'm not. I-I don't want you to be with her," she admitted.

"I don't want to be with her either. But I have to be. I thought you understood that," he said looking her in the eye.

She broke the eye contact and looked down at her hands.

"I just didn't know it was going to bother me this much."

"What do you want me to do? Can I make it up to you? Let's go somewhere this weekend. Just us. Forget her. We'll do something fun," he urged her to go along with him.

"Like what?" she wondered.

"I don't know. How about dancing? You love to dance and I'll take you dancing. What do you say?"

"What would she think?"

"I don't give a fuck. I'm not telling her. It's just you and me."

"Alright."

She knew this was probably a terrible idea, but she couldn't help but say yes. She wanted to be with him so badly. And he wanted to be with her. There was no denying it. Being cold to him was killing her. She just didn't know how else to be. She was dying inside.

"So are you still mad at me?" he asked quietly.

"No, I'm not mad. I'm just exhausted that's all," she explained.

"Exhausted by what?" he wanted to know.

"By all the avoiding you and hating you business. It's hard to keep it up, when it's not how I feel," she confessed quietly.

"I knew you couldn't hate me. But you sure did a bang up job making me believe it," he said with a small smile.

"I'm a good actress when I need to be."

"Why did you feel like you had to act like you hated me?"

That was a much harder question to answer, so she chose not to answer it.

"It's almost lunch time. Why don't you go to lunch. I have some errands to run real quick. I should be back on time," she said, effectively ending this conversation.

He just sat there and wondered why she was shutting it all down again. But he didn't question it. He just grabbed his jacket off the chair and went to lunch. When he was safely out of the office, she picked up her purse and opened it up. Inside was the photo of the two of them bowling. She looked at it and smiled. The truth was she had stolen it and hidden it, but she could never destroy it. It was proof that for just a short time, she and Draco shared something together. She gazed at it longingly and then shoved it back in her purse. Then she got up and headed out of the office. She didn't really have anywhere to go but she had to get out of there.

When she got back, she found a wrapped present sitting on her desk and Draco was busy doing filing. He didn't even look up when she came in the room. But she looked at the package and over at him. Then she finally spoke.

"What's this?" she picked up the box and held it up to him.

"It's a peace offering," he shrugged slightly. "Go ahead and open it."

She was confused, but she sat down and undid the wrapping and opened it up. Inside was a very old rare book of poems by one of her favorite witch authors. It must have cost a fortune. Hermione didn't even know there were any first editions left of her work.

"Oh my God. This is amazing," she said with a genuine smile on her face. "How did you know I loved Matlida Hawthorne?"

"You mentioned it once in passing. I had to look very hard for that book. I intended to give it to you for your birthday, but I couldn't wait."

"Well it's spectacular. Thank you Draco. I love it."

"I hope that when you read the poems, you'll think of me," he said softly.

"I will. I always will."

And she knew that was a bold statement because most of the poems were all about love. Specifically losing love. She'd think of Draco no matter what, but it was even more special because he's the one who bought her the book. She held it to her chest and smelled the musty old smell of books. Then she smiled and went to her purse.

"Since we're handing out peace offerings I have something for you as well," she said reaching into her bag. She pulled out the photo of the two of them and handed it over to him. "Here."

"Our picture! You didn't destroy it?" he asked giving it a good glance and smiling over it.

"Nope. I stole it and kept it in my bag. I couldn't bring myself to destroy it," she confessed.

He smiled over that but then he handed the picture back to her.

"Here, you keep this. I'll just have another copy made. I have the negatives. You should have this," he said sincerely.

She took the photo back and looked at how happy they were in the picture. She opened her new book and put the photo in there for safekeeping.

"Thank you. I –I just didn't want you to think I'd burned it."

"It's good to know."

"Yeah."

"Hermione I don't want our friendship to change. I really don't. You must believe me," he pleaded with her.

"But doesn't it have to change a little? I mean, you have a girlfriend now. And most girls don't take too kindly to their men going out with other women on dates," she said seriously.

"But they're friend dates. Nothing you wouldn't do with Harry, right? And his bird doesn't get mad if you go out with him does she?" he tried to explain things in a way she'd understand.

"Ginny probably wouldn't be mad if Harry and I went out, but we never do. Not alone. She's always there! And I don't fancy being the third wheel between you and Astoria."

"You won't ever be. I guarantee that. But I still want us to hang out. Like with the dancing. It'll be fun. And we haven't gone dancing yet. We've only danced in the office. She never has to know."

Something about this felt so dishonest to her and unfair to some girl she'd never met and already decided she hated. But her conscience was warring with her heart. Part of her didn't want to be some dirty little secret, but another part of her, the part that was winning out right now, wanted to be with him no matter what. She didn't care if maybe it was wrong. After all, there was nothing about this situation that was right. She was just going to try and put Astoria out of her mind and enjoy Draco's company like she always did. Hating him took too much out of her. And it broke her heart to do so. So she decided to just let it go for now. Maybe he'd change his mind somewhere down the line? Maybe he'd realize it was her he loved? And maybe he'd realize she loved him too? But she couldn't tell him that now. It definitely wasn't the right time. And maybe there never would be a right time? But she was determined to enjoy whatever time they had left together before it all inevitably changed.

The rest of the week passed and things were much more relaxed between them. She didn't brush off his humor attempts and she didn't even get cross with him for singing along to the radio. She just enjoyed every moment until it was time for their latest friend date to go dancing. He was going to pick her up at her place again so she tried very hard to dress nicely and sexily to fit in at a dance club. But she didn't want to look like a tart either. She had to buy a new dress for the occasion and settled on a slinky black number that came to her knees and she wore thigh high black boots. When Draco stood at her door he was immediately struck by how utterly stunning she looked. He knew she was beautiful, but tonight she was downright sexy too. He felt almost underdressed in his black trousers and a black button up shirt. He'd worn his hair natural again because she said she liked it that way. So it fell haphazardly into his eyes. She was just as bowled over because he looked absolutely edible. But she had to keep her lusty thoughts to herself. It wasn't a part of the friendship agreement.

"Do come in," she motioned him as he stood planted in her doorway, mesmerized by her look.

He finally jolted himself out of the thoughts he was having and walked into her apartment.

"You look out of this world, Hermione," he said finally finding a voice.

"Thank you. I just threw this together. I wasn't sure I liked it," she lied. She in fact had spent countless hours trying on clothes until she finally found this ensemble that she was told by the shop girl made her look like a sex kitten, but in a demure way. It was all meticulously planned, but Hermione wasn't about to let him know she spent that much effort on this.

"You look good too," she noted with a smile, trying to keep her hormones in check.

"This old get up? I just threw this together too," he grinned at her.

"Well it works."

"Do you want to have a drink before we go? Sometimes it's better to drink first so you're not too shy to dance," he explained.

"Alright. You want that vodka again? I'm afraid it's all I've got."

"Sure."

He sat down on her couch and petted her cat again while waiting for his drink.

"So what did you tell what's her name you were doing tonight?" she asked trying to be cool about it.

"I told her I was going out with a friend. She didn't ask questions. That's the only good thing about her is that she's rather mindless and doesn't ask a lot of questions about what I do in my spare time."

"That's pretty empty if she doesn't even care to ask what you're doing," she noted as she brought the drinks out and sat down next to him on the couch.

"Her head is pretty empty honestly. I'm not saying she's a vacuous bimbo, but she's definitely a proper high society lady. They hang on their man's every word, and rarely offer up their own dialogue. It's annoying," he admitted as he took a sip of the drink.

"It sounds annoying. Are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life with someone like that?" she wondered, sipping her own drink.

"No. I'm not sure. In fact, I'm pretty fucking far from sure. But I'm in this mess now. I can't back out," he lamented.

She didn't like hearing that, but she vowed not to let it ruin her evening. She didn't spend hours getting ready and finding the perfect outfit to just cancel on him because she was butt hurt over his life choices. She wanted him to see what he was missing tonight. And maybe then he'd wake up.

They finished their drinks and had a slight buzz going before they set out. They went to a popular night spot in London and Draco had to bribe the door man to let them in, in front of all the other patrons in line. She was impressed and realized sometimes money came in handy. But it certainly wasn't all there was to life. She'd gladly wait in a long line for the rest of her life if it meant she had Draco by her side for real. But she didn't verbalize this. Now wasn't the time. But they went inside and went to the bar and got more drinks. Draco ordered up a whiskey and she had a vodka cranberry. At first they just watched the other people dancing to the beat and didn't feel a need to be part of it. They just sat together at the bar and he fiddled with a lock of her hair absently. She finally looked over at him and smiled.

"Is my hair mussed? Is that why you're playing with it?"

"No. Sorry. It's just really soft. I wasn't sure how soft it might be, but it's really soft," he said awkwardly.

She laughed slightly and shook her head. Then she reached out and touched his hair.

"Yours is soft too. Especially when you wear it like this. Without all that product smoothing it down."

"I wore it like this because you said you liked it."

"I do like it."

"Maybe we should dance now?" he tossed out, feeling like the air was growing thick around them.

She must have felt it too because she readily agreed to dance. They slipped onto the floor and started moving with the music. Hermione was dancing all sexy like but she wasn't looking at Draco. She did that on purpose because she wanted him to eat his heart out. That is if she really had any effect on him whatsoever. She wasn't sure. He claimed she was his best friend, and nothing more. Maybe he wouldn't be charmed by her sexy dancing? But she was still going to try. For his part, he just swayed to the music and watched her intently. It was almost as if she had no idea how gorgeous she really was. She was just lost in her dance. But he couldn't take it anymore and he went up to her and put his arms around her and grinded up against her. Two could play the game to see who would drive the other one mad with lust. Except he wasn't sure she felt that way at all about him. And she'd spent the better part of a week being a total bitch to him. Maybe she wouldn't really care if he danced sexily with her? After all, they were just friends.

But the way she was moving against him made him think there might be something more there. She was definitely not pushing him away. And he kept getting more and more frisky with her. But then the music changed to something slower and he wondered if she'd move off the floor. But she didn't. She just wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. They danced in a circle and he smelled her sweet coconut scented shampoo, while she noted the spicy musky smell of his cologne. They'd never really danced quite like this before, even in the office. She never wanted to let him go. But all too soon the music was jumping again and they broke apart and danced separately for a time. That is until Draco got the nerve to grab her again and start moving with the music against her body. To anyone watching they'd assume this was a couple in love. But neither one of them were sure of that fact, so they said nothing to each other. They just danced. Pouring out their heart and soul on a dancefloor and praying the other person could read between the lines. But no such luck. They were both too worried about ruining their friendship that neither one of them said a word or made any actual moves. Plus there was Astoria to contend with. They were both trying very hard not to even think of her at all, but she was looming over them like a toxic cloud.

They stopped dancing after a time and made their way back to the bar. The air was charged around them and the sexual tension was evident to both of them, but neither one of them knew what to do about it. So they just drank. Hermione thought maybe if she drank enough cocktails she'd forget she was in love with him and that he nearly humped her right on the dancefloor. And for his part, he was thinking the same exact thing. He didn't know why he danced that way with her, but all he knew was she didn't stop him. That had to mean something. But he couldn't contemplate it, so he drowned himself in whiskey until he could maybe forget how good it felt being pressed up against her like that.

After several more drinks they headed out to the dancefloor again and this time was no tamer than the last time. If anything it was even worse. They both were rather drunk and promises of friendship and marriages to other people seemed like distant memories. They danced and they danced and finally Draco could take it no more. His brain wasn't working straight and his body just seemed to do what it wanted without his input. So he grabbed Hermione up and kissed her roughly on the mouth. She didn't protest at all. In fact she moved with the kiss and kissed him back, as their tongues danced together exploring each other's mouths. Finally Draco's brain started working again and he pulled back abruptly.

"I'm so sorry!" he said feeling horrified at his own actions.

"It's okay," she tried to tell him, because she'd loved the kiss so much.

But he was panicking that he'd ruined everything and he couldn't stop.

"I didn't meant to do that. I'm really sorry. That's not part of the friendship plan. Please forgive me," he said desperately.

"There's nothing to forgive, Draco. It's alright," she assured him.

"No, it's not alright. I should never have done that," he shook his head.

She had liked the kiss, but it was clear he felt horrible for doing it. Maybe because he felt guilty about Astoria? Or maybe because he was really drunk and actually didn't mean to kiss her? She wasn't sure, but she wished he'd stop apologizing for the best kiss she ever had.

"You don't have to be sorry. It's forgotten," she told him, even if she'd never forget it in actuality. But he seemed to need to hear that.

"Are you sure you're not mad at me again? I don't know what I was thinking. It just sort of happened."

"It's fine. You're a little drunk and so am I. So what if we kissed? It's not a big thing," she lied. It was a huge thing. But he seemed to want to forget it.

Draco looked at her and she was so nonchalant about the entire thing. She wasn't horrified like he expected her to be, but she wasn't eager to repeat it either. She just wanted to forget it. It wasn't a big thing, she said. So he just ran his hands through his hair and nodded.

"Okay, it's not a big thing. I get it. I'm still sorry though."

"Don't be. I think I've had enough of this club though. I want to leave," she said, feeling highly uncomfortable around him right now.

"Do you want to go someplace else?" he asked hopefully, not eager to leave her yet, but still feeling foolish for what he'd done.

"No, I just want to go home. I had fun though. A lot of fun. And don't worry about the kiss. I know it didn't mean anything. I know it was just you being drunk and us dancing sexy like. It's fine. But I need to go home because the room is starting to spin," she said, just wanting to leave quickly.

"Let me at least walk you to the alley," he offered, not wanting her to be outside alone at night in this part of the city.

She just nodded and he followed her wordlessly out of the club and onto the street. She ducked into an alley and he followed suit and then she just looked at him and didn't know what to say exactly. It was obvious he regretted the kiss. But it meant everything to her. She just couldn't let him know that.

"Well this is where I leave," she said finally, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah. Okay. I'll see you Monday?"

"Of course. Go home and sleep it off. Maybe with some luck, you won't even remember kissing me," she said patting him on the head.

"I don't think I'm going to forget doing that," he whispered softly.

"Well don't think about it too much. It's forgotten. I know you didn't mean to do it," she said with pain in her voice, but he didn't pick up on it.

"No I really didn't mean to do it. It was an accident," he apologized again, thinking that the entire reason she was leaving so abruptly was because she was disgusted with him. He couldn't have been more wrong though.

"I'm gonna go."

"Okay."

"Goodnight Draco."

"Goodnight Hermione."

And with that she disappeared into the night and was just left standing there with his own thoughts. Why had he been so stupid as to kiss her? It was clear she was so horrified of it she wanted to immediately forget it. But he wasn't sure he'd ever forget the way her lips felt or the way she tasted like cranberries and vodka. He'd never be able to drink that drink again without thinking of that kiss. But what did this mean in the end? Nothing he supposed. It was just a drunken mistake. Maybe if he pretended he didn't remember it on Monday, nothing would be weird between them? She told him he might forget, so he was just going to pretend he did forget. And go on like nothing happened. He just hoped that maybe she'd forget too. There was no sense remembering a kiss that meant nothing to her, right? At least that's how she was acting. And she couldn't get out of his presence any faster than she had. It was all a mess. So he was just going to pretend to forget. It was the only way. He hoped she'd play along for both their sakes.

 **To be continued…. Please leave feedback! I love reviews! They keep me writing faster….**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters here. I just use them for my own amusement. JK Rowling and co. own them No copyright infringement intended.

 **Summary:** When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.

 **Author's note:** Lyrics by Katy Perry

 **Wildest Dreams**

 _In another life, I would be your girl  
We keep all our promises, be us against the world  
In another life, I would make you stay  
So I don't have to say you were the one that got away  
The one that got away_

When Monday morning came, Draco was really embarrassed to see Hermione. He hadn't forgotten the kiss, but he was hoping maybe she had? When he walked in, she was already there and busy with a file. She looked up when he walked in and managed a small smile towards him.

"Good morning," she said pleasantly.

"Good morning," he said back, just as pleasantly. "Are you hungry? I brought donuts this time."

"I could eat a donut. Sure. Thanks Draco," she said as she took the bag from him and pulled out a glazed donut. She handed the bag back.

"I figured you're probably sick of bagels. I know I am. Plus I had a sweet tooth today," he said, trying to be utterly normal when he felt like a wreck inside.

But if she was upset about the kiss, she didn't show it. She was simply acting like nothing had happened at all. Maybe she really didn't remember, he thought to himself.

"I like donuts. I just can't eat them every day. I'd be a blimp if I did," she chuckled slightly.

"Nah, you never would be. A little sugar is good for the soul," he smiled at her.

"So I just got this memo in my box this morning. I figured I'd share it with you," she said, changing the subject. "There's a charity ball coming up and we're expected to attend."

She handed over the parchment and showed him what it said. He just frowned a little and sighed. He hated things like that. But he supposed since he was a Ministry employee, he'd have to buck it up and go.

"So who are you going with?" he wondered with insane curiosity.

"I don't know yet. I've got time to find someone suitable. I already know who you're taking," she said with a sigh. That was the only giveaway that she was still upset about Astoria. Her subtle sigh. But Draco didn't pick up on it.

"Yeah, I guess I have to take Astoria huh?"

"Obviously," she said with a slightly bitter laugh.

"I wish we could just go together," he lamented. He'd feel a lot more comfortable with her. But he supposed that was out of the question.

"Well that's a silly idea. I think it's best you take your fiancée," she said giving him a look.

"She's not my fiancée yet. Not really. It's not like I've asked her to marry me or anything," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's all arranged. I think asking her is just a formality at this point, isn't it?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I guess. I don't know," he shrugged and let out a deep breath. "So everything's cool between us right?" he asked dying to know if she remembered the stupid kiss or not, but he was too afraid to ask her directly.

"Why wouldn't we be cool?" she wondered, knowing exactly what he was talking about, but not wanting to let on that she knew.

"Because of what happened at the dance club."

"Oh. That. Well, I told you it was no big deal. So yes, of course we're cool," she said brushing it off. If only he knew what the kiss really had meant to her, but she'd never tell him now.

"Alright good. I was just worried it would be awkward between us or something."

"Nope. It's all good," she said coolly.

"Good."

"Yep."

"So really who do you want to go to the ball with?" he tossed out, not being able to get the thought of her dating someone else out of his mind. It was bad enough _he_ had to go with someone else, he never featured _her_ moving on and dating someone else. That upset him a lot more than it should. Which wasn't really fair. He was _marrying_ someone else, so how could he be upset with her going on a date with someone else? But he was. And he wanted to know who his competition might be.

"I really don't know. There is this one bloke in the Department of Mysteries who fancies me. We went out a few times a while back. There wasn't really a spark for me, but maybe I'll ask him? He was nice enough," she pondered her options.

"Some bloke from the Department of Mysteries, eh? What's his name?"

"Jonathon."

"Jonathon? I don't like that name. It's boring. He sounds boring. Is he boring?" Draco wondered in rapid fire succession.

She laughed at him and shook her head.

"He's not boring, per say. He just didn't light my fire. But he's nice. And he's not bad to look at."

"Why don't you go with Harry? Just as friends, of course. I think I like that idea better," he offered.

"I can't go with Harry. He's going to go with Ginny. Besides what does it matter to you who I go with? You're going to be there with Astoria. I think I can pick my own date," she said giving him a look.

"Right. I get it. It's just I'm protective of you. I don't know this Jonathon bloke at all. I don't trust him," he said honestly.

"You don't have to be psycho protective. He's a nice guy. He never did anything wrong to me. I just didn't fancy him. Stop worrying."

"What if you start fancying him at this ball?"

"Then I say lucky me, right? I am a singleton after all. Maybe it'd be nice to be in a relationship so I'm not the only one who's single?" she posed the question to him.

"Do you really hate being single so much that you'd just pick any bloke out of the crowd? I thought you didn't care that much to be coupled up?" he asked.

"Draco, you're being weird. Just drop it. I don't even know if Jonathon will say yes. You're getting all bent out of shape for nothing," she groaned.

"Fine. You're right. It's not really my business anyway who you date," he relented.

But it felt like his business. He wanted it to be his business. But it wasn't. He was just her friend and nothing more. And friends didn't act like freaks when other friends went on dates. He had to keep reminding himself of that.

Silence settled over the room and as always, for Draco, it was highly uncomfortable. He was only happy when they were talking or laughing and the silence killed him. Mostly because he wanted to know what she was thinking, but despite his earlier claims to being able to read her like a book, he couldn't read her now. She was confusing. Much more complicated than he gave her credit for. He didn't know what to do with the silence, so he just worked on his papers and tried not to think of the stupid charity ball.

Hermione was only quiet because she couldn't think of anything suitable to say. She honestly didn't want to go to a charity ball with Jonathon or anyone else. She wanted to go with Draco. But that was never happening. So there was no use even fantasizing about it. But part of her did fantasize and part of her still remembered that fevered kiss on the dancefloor. She just wished that Draco hadn't been drunk and so regretful of it. How could she even begin to explain to him how much the kiss meant when he was tripping over himself in apology? She kept having wicked thoughts like what it would be like to get him drunk again and see what else might happen. But that was very wrong of her. He was practically engaged to someone else. She couldn't be having these lusty thoughts like this. But she couldn't help it. She also couldn't talk about it either, so she just remained silent.

The rest of their week was spent in relative silence. Broken only to go over case files or to talk about work. Draco had been out with Astoria a couple more times and had told her about the charity ball, which she was very excited for. But he still felt nothing for her. He wished he could tell that to Hermione and have it matter. Maybe they'd kiss again if she knew he still hadn't bothered to kiss Astoria? She was the only one he wanted to kiss. But since all his thoughts we complicated, he just focused on work. He wanted to ask Hermione out again, for another friend date, but he was afraid she'd say no after what happened last time. But when Friday came, he just had to ask her.

"So, you wanna grab dinner with me tonight?" he asked when it was nearly time to leave.

"Tonight? I don't know. I don't really have anything to wear," she said, unsure of whether or not they should keep going out.

"Nothing fancy this time. Just maybe a pub? We'll grab a few pints and eat some fish and chips. It'll be great," he urged her.

She sighed and nodded her head. She couldn't say no to him, even if every fiber of her being was telling her to stay away from him on a personal level. But she just couldn't do it.

"Alright. It sounds fun. Do you want to come get me again?"

"Of course. I'll be at your place around seven-ish?"

"Great."

"Perfect."

And with that, more silence. It was maddening. But Draco bucked it up because at least she said yes to his date idea. He hadn't made any plans with Astoria, and didn't want to. He'd likely see her another night, but tonight was all for him and Hermione.

When the time rolled around, he went to her place yet again. He realized he was probably rude to never have invited her to his place. Maybe he'd take her back there tonight? That is if she wanted to go. He'd have to think a bit before bringing it up. But when she answered her door, he was speechless yet again. She looked perfect in a lavender lacy top and a pair of light blue jeans with matching lavender sandals. She always swore she just threw items on, but she never ceased to amaze him with her beauty. He walked into her place and she was the first one to comment on his look.

"I like that shirt on you. It's nice," she noted with a smile.

"Thanks. I like yours too. It's pretty. I like the lacy bits," he smiled back.

"So are you hungry? Because I'm famished. I'm ready to eat some fish and chips," she said hurriedly, not wanting to linger too long at her place like they usually did.

"I'm ready to go. I know a great little place too. I think you're gonna love it."

"Lead the way," she held out her arm for him to hold.

He gripped her tightly and apparated them out of her apartment and into the back alley of the pub. They walked arm in arm into the establishment and found a booth in the corner to sit in. They picked up the menus and looked at them even if they already knew they wanted fish and chips. It was something to do while they waited for a waitress to come by. But once she did, they ordered two beers and their fish and sat and waited patiently to be served. The drinks came and they both dove right in.

"This is good," Hermione said taking a large sip.

"It's the best alehouse in the city. They brew everything themselves in those big vat things over yonder," he pointed to the brewing room where there was a contraption that Hermione thought looked like a spaceship.

"I was wondering what the hell that was. I thought it was some sort of modern art," she laughed.

"Nope, it's where they make the beer. I told you that you'd like this place," he smiled at her.

"I do. And they're playing good music too."

"It is pretty good. I like this song."

"Too bad there's no dancing here," she said with a little grin.

"It's probably best there's no dancing. No telling what stupid thing I might do then," he said hiding his face.

She wished he didn't think their kiss was so stupid, but what could she really say? That it changed her life? He didn't want to hear that obviously.

"Yeah, I guess it's probably best that there is no dancing huh?" she agreed, only she didn't really agree. She was just being polite.

"So have you found a date yet for this ball thing?" he asked cautiously, unsure if he really wanted to know the answer or not.

She nodded her head.

"Yeah, I decided to approach Jonathon. He was pretty excited to go with me. Maybe it won't be such a bad evening after all?" she noted.

"Jonathon huh? I need to meet this guy. I wanna see if I really approve of him," he said giving her a look.

"Oh stop. You're not my daddy. I can date whomever I choose," she scoffed at him.

"I know. But I'm your friend. And as your friend I reserve the right to chuck aside blokes I don't think are worthy of your affections," he said holding his head up high.

"You're laughable. You don't get to chuck away blokes. Not even Harry does that, and he's been my friend for way longer than you," she told him.

"Like hell he doesn't get a say in who you go out with. He was ready to throttle you or have you committed when he thought you were dating me," he reminded her.

"Alright, so he's a little protective too. But I didn't listen to him! That's the important part. He may have an opinion about the company I keep, but in the end, I do what I want."

"So then my opinion doesn't matter either then?"

"It matters. But I'm my own person. I can choose whom to date," she assured him.

"Alright. I'll keep my mouth shut then. But I'd still like to meet him," he told her with a sigh.

"You'll meet him at the ball. Just like I suppose I'm going to meet Astoria for the first time. Should be pleasant," she said in a clipped tone.

"Yeah you sound real excited to meet her," he noted dryly.

"Just like you're protective of me, I'm protective of you. I don't want you to spend your life with some vacuous wench. But you still did what you wanted to do," she pointed out.

"Hey, I thought you agreed I had to do this. It's for the greater good of my life. It's for my family," he said defensively.

"And your wallet. Which I think is a stupid reason to lower yourself to being engaged to someone you don't even like," she said snippily.

"So what if it helps my wallet? I like to live well. And the Ministry pays me shitty. If I was making whatever you make, maybe I'd feel differently?" he said snippily too.

"You think I make that much money? Please. I don't come anywhere near your money bags. But I don't care because at least I'm my own person with my own life," she said surely.

"I'm my own person too. That's why I'm here with you tonight. Because I refuse to give you up. And no one can stop me," he told her adamantly.

"What if your father finds out you're seeing me behind what's her name's back? Do you think he'd just let that happen? He probably hates me and wants you to have nothing to do with me, outside of work. What happens when he finds out, Draco?" she asked pointedly with tears forming in her eyes.

"He won't find out," he assured her as he took her hand over the table and squeezed it.

"But what if he does? Who will you choose? I know it won't be me," she admitted sadly.

He wanted to tell her she was wrong, but he didn't know the answer to that question. He'd never considered what he'd do if his father found out he was seeing her behind Astoria's back. They were just friends. Even if he wanted more, the fact remained that they were just friends. How could his father really stop him from having a friend? He looked at her squarely in the eyes.

"I won't ever have to choose. I promise you that."

She knew it was a promise he likely couldn't keep but she just removed her hand from his and rubbed her eyes. This conversation was tanking a bit. And Draco knew it too. So he tried to change the subject.

"Listen, after dinner, do you want to come back to my place and watch the telly? I'm sure there's bound to be some show on we can be entertained by," he said with a hopeful smile.

"Come back to your place and watch the telly? Are you sure that's such a good idea?" she wondered curiously.

"Why wouldn't it be? It's just two friends sitting on a couch together. I might even have popcorn. You know you want to," he nudged her foot under the table.

"Why are you so hard to say no to?" she sighed and shook her head.

"Because I'm very charming. I told you once before that I could charm anyone. And it's working on you," he grinned.

"Yeah, a little too well," she muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Just then, their food arrived and saved Hermione from having to explain her comment. They dug into the fish and chips and didn't talk at all for a while. They had this thing that always settled over them when conversations got too heated or personal. It was like they rendered them mute afterwards. It drove both of them batty to have this weird uncomfortable silences. They both were dying to know what the other person was thinking but no one would speak.

When they finished their meal, Draco paid the check and wouldn't let Hermione put in any money, even though she tried to insist. It didn't seem like a friend date if he always paid for everything.

"I can pay my own meal, Draco."

"But why should you? I'm doing an awful lot to keep my money, so at least let me spend it on my friend," he said handing her money back and refusing to take it.

"Alright. But I swear the next meal is on me," she told him seriously.

"Deal. Now should we go back to my place?" he asked.

"Fine."

"You could seem a little more excited," he noted.

"I am excited. I'm always excited to hang out with you. It's just I'm afraid it'll be weird going to your place. I've never been there," she told him.

"So? It's high time you saw how the other half lived. Not that I'm in some huge mansion. It's just a nice four bedroom house in the countryside," he explained.

"Four bedrooms? All for you? What do you need that many bedrooms for?" she wondered with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't. But I could afford the place so I bought it. I didn't want to live in some cramped apartment," he said.

"Like mine, you mean?" she chuckled softly.

"I didn't mean it like that. Your flat is great. For you. I personally like a bit more space."

"Alright, now you've got me curious. Let's go to your place," she relented.

They got up from the table and went back out to the alley and apparated to his place. He landed them outside on the front lawn so she could see the outside. It was a fairly large two story home with a red brick walkway leading to the front door. He had roses and other flowers out front and a fountain with a little cherub spitting water in the yard. She was suitably impressed. It would be a great place to have a family. But she wasn't going to ever live there, she realized. It wasn't _her_ family that would be raised there, it was _his_ family. With _Astoria_. The other woman. Hermione took a deep breath and tried not to lose her shit at the thought of it, and just marched up the front walkway to the door. He opened it up and turned on all the lights so she could see the living space. The place was filled with black and silver furniture and looked like a showroom. She wondered if he had a decorator or if he did it all himself. But she didn't ask. She just told him the place looked lovely.

"Thanks. I like to call it home. But see the couch is big. Plenty of room. And I've got a big screen telly," he pointed towards his TV room.

"It's perfect. Now what are we going to watch?" she wondered as she moved into the room and kicked off her shoes. She wanted to be comfortable and had just enough beer that she wasn't thinking to ask if it was okay for her to take off her shoes. But he just found it amusing and he kicked off his shoes too.

"I think we should just see what's on," he said, plunking down onto the couch and grabbing the remote.

She sat down next to him a comfortable distance away and played with her hair as she waited for him to find a show to watch. He settled on an episode of the X-Files. Hermione had heard of the show, but never actually watched it. Draco claimed it was one his favorites. And he hadn't seen the episode that was playing. It was about vampires.

"I thought this show was about aliens?" she asked curiously.

"It sometimes is. But they have different stories too. Different monsters. I guess this week it's vampires," he shrugged. "You want some popcorn?"

"Sure. If you have it," she said with a smile.

He got up and went to the kitchen and came back with two bottles of beer and a bowl of popcorn for them to share. He handed her the beer and plunked the bowl in between them. They watched in silence for a while and Hermione kept giggling over some of the funny parts this episode had. It was comical because Mulder and Scully were re-telling their version of events as they happened, and the accounts were widely different.

"Do you really think the sheriff was good looking or he had buck teeth like Mulder said?" she asked shoveling popcorn in her mouth.

"I think he was really good looking and Mulder was just jealous that Scully liked him," Draco explained as he grabbed a fistful of popcorn himself.

"I would totally go for Mulder over the sheriff though. He's pretty hot," she noted with a grin.

"Really now? So is that what you like. Tall, dark and handsome?" he asked with a questioning look.

She shrugged.

"I wouldn't say no to it."

"I suppose Scully is attractive enough. For a ginger. I'm not sure I could get past the hair," he told her honestly.

"Oh, wait! I think the bad guy is the pizza man!" she said, ignoring his comment. She got overly excited by the show.

He just trained his eyes back on the screen and presumed she was probably right. She scooted over closer to him and propped her feet up on the coffee table. He couldn't help but just watch her and be in awe of how cute she was when she was watching a show. She seemed so engrossed. He could probably take off all his clothes next to her and she wouldn't even notice.

"I think Mulder is secretly in love with Scully. It's so obvious to me. And I'm fairly certain she loves him back. Why don't they just tell each other?" she blurted out throwing popcorn at the screen.

Draco laughed slightly and then he sighed.

"Sometimes love between friends is complicated. You don't want to ruin the friendship. Plus they work together too. It might just complicate everything. What if they were together and the FBI wouldn't let them be partners anymore?" he offered realizing how much this story paralleled his own life.

"Yeah, but I'd rather get a new partner than deny I loved someone. It's so obvious they're meant to be. Mulder should say something to her, damn it!" she said vehemently.

"Maybe Scully should say something?" he shot back at her.

Then they just looked at each other for a minute and something passed between them. It was like they were no longer talking about the show and the fictional characters, but themselves. Hermione didn't know what to do and neither did Draco. Were they hinting something to each other? Or was it really just talk about the show? Neither one of them could be certain so they finally looked away from one another and sat in silence again. Once the show was over, Hermione didn't want to leave. But she knew it was late and she should go. Draco didn't want her to go though. So he tried to convince her to stay and watch something else with him.

"I really shouldn't. We're all out of popcorn and beer," she said noting the empty bowl and the empty bottle she held.

"I can get you more," he offered.

"Nah, that's okay. But I enjoyed myself. Thoroughly. You have a great flat," she smiled at him.

"Thanks for coming over. I'm glad you enjoyed the show."

"Me too. It was great. And just for the record, Scully shouldn't have to say anything. Because she's dropped enough hints that Mulder is a moron if he doesn't get that she's in love with him," she added hoping Draco would catch a clue.

But he didn't. Or at least he didn't appear to get it.

"I still think if Scully wants Mulder, she should be the one to say it first. Mulder has no idea. He's a man. We're stupid. She's the smart one. _She_ should tell _him_."

"What if she's scared to?"

"She shouldn't be scared because God only knows Mulder has dropped a million hints too."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Are we still talking about the show or something else?" Hermione asked finally.

"I don't know what we're talking about honestly," he said unsure of how to proceed.

"I-I should probably leave," she said finally.

"Okay. If you're sure you want to," he said giving her a look. A look that said, 'please stay'.

But she was nervous and awkward because of this conversation. She just wanted to get away from it. It was hitting way too close to home. So she stood up and put her shoes back on.

"I'll see you Monday," she told him as she grabbed her purse.

"Right. Monday," he said softly.

And with that she just disappeared from his living room and left him on the couch. Wanting. Needing. And never having. But it was his own fault. Sure they were talking about the show, but it was not lost on him that she was basically telling him to say something to her. He wasn't as dim as he pretended to be during that conversation. And even she realized what they were actually talking about. But just like the stupid show, neither one of them said a thing. What good would it do now? Draco was promised to someone else. But if he could hear from Hermione's lips that she loved him, it would change everything. If she _really_ loved him and wanted to be with him, he'd chuck it all out the window to be with her. But she wasn't willing to say it. And he wasn't about to say it and be shot down. After all, he'd kissed her and she was disgusted by his presence afterward. He made a bold move, and now it was her turn to make an even bolder one. That is if she wanted to. He didn't know for certain. But all he knew was that he was still tragically in love with her. And probably always would be. He didn't want her to be the one that got away. But his own cowardice was making that a reality, and he didn't know how to live with himself for it, but he was going to have to.

 **To be continued…. Please leave feedback! I love reviews! They keep me writing faster….**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters here. I just use them for my own amusement. JK Rowling and co. own them No copyright infringement intended.

 **Summary:** When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.

 **Author's note:** Lyrics by Dionne Warwick

 **Wildest Dreams**

 _Why do you have to be a heartbreaker ?  
Is it a lesson that I never knew ?  
Gotta get out of the spell that I'm under,  
My love for you._

 _Why do you have to be a heartbreaker,  
When I was bein' what you want me to be  
Suddenly everything I ever wanted has passed me by,  
This world may end, not you and I._

Some time passed and things were even more strained between Draco and Hermione than they had been. There was so much tension in the room whenever the two of them were together that both of them were driven to distraction. Neither of them could stop thinking about the silly conversation they had about Mulder and Scully, and they both kept wondering if the other person had been trying to tell them something with their words. But they were both too chickenshit to actually ask or make any love declarations. Draco finally had enough of it and tried to lighten things up by adding a picture of Mulder and Scully to his desk menagerie which included more new drawings he'd done and a newly printed photo of the two of them bowling. She claimed not to want that picture there, but it was his desk. And she'd tried to give the photo back so he figured it was okay. But the addition of Mulder and Scully had simply made her laugh when she saw it. She shook her head that morning when she came in and sat down at her desk.

"Now you're posting fan pictures of celebrities on your desk?" she asked wryly.

"I just think they're cool. And I relate to them," he said giving her a look.

"You relate to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson?" she raised her eyebrow.

"No, you ninny. The characters. They speak to me. So I found this autographed photo in a shop in London. Do you like it?" he wondered.

"It's very charming. Now your desk looks like booth at a dork convention," she teased him.

He just stuck his tongue out at her and said nothing. She wasn't taking the hint as well as he hoped. He wanted her to see that and hear he related to them, and then she'd declare her undying love. But nothing was breaking through that thick sheet of armor she'd built up. He supposed he could say something, but in his mind, the photo said it all. No words were necessary. But in her world, words were necessary. She'd taken the hint just fine. But she still didn't know what to do with it. He was marrying someone else. What good would it do for her to declare her love now? He'd never do anything about it. Of that, she was sure. So it was better to never say anything at all. But there was some serious smoldering looks being passed between both of them and it was highly uncomfortable.

But tonight was the night of the big charity ball. Hermione was incredibly nervous because it meant she was going to meet Draco's soon to be wife. She wasn't ready for that, and was prepared to hate her with a fiery passion. She already did, and didn't even know her. And for his part, Draco was dreading the night because he didn't want to see Hermione with another man. It made him so jealous he couldn't even see straight. Especially since one day the week before, she'd eaten her lunch with this Jonathon person. He'd seethed over that for days, but he still never met the guy. But tonight he'd come face to face with his competition. He was pretty sure he was better than this git, but what if Hermione was sick of waiting for him to say something to her and she just married this Jonathon bloke just for spite? Stranger things have happened. Right now he wasn't so much worried about them marrying as he was them shagging. What if she took him home after the ball? Draco felt like he would die if that happened.

"So are you ready for tonight?" he asked her breaking them out of their warring thoughts.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I guess so," she shrugged, barely having heard him because she was so lost in thought.

"I'm kind of nervous myself. But Astoria is excited," he informed her.

"Really? Well she probably doesn't get out much. It's likely going to be boring," she yawned slightly. She didn't care if Astoria was excited. Why was he telling her this?

"Is Jonathon excited?" he asked trying to hide the venom in his voice when he said the name.

"I haven't actually asked him. But I guess he is. He is going with an incredible woman, after all," she smirked at him.

"That he is," Draco couldn't argue with that.

And then more silence settled over the land again. They were both dreading the evening in their own ways. But they still had to go. Neither of them knew what the night would have in store for them. Everyone got off early in order to be ready for the ball. That was the only good thing about the event. Instead of leaving at 5pm everyone got to leave at 3pm. And Hermione jetted out the door incredibly fast once the time came. She left Draco in the dust and he just called after her.

"I'll see you tonight!"

She waved at him and disappeared out of the office and he just sighed. What was he going to do with her? On one hand, he was pretty sure she felt something for him. But on the other hand, she wouldn't say it. So that either meant she didn't want to ruin his upcoming wedding or she didn't really feel as strongly as he wished she did. But there was definitely something there. And maybe he was going to have to be the one to say something first? Only what would he say? He was virtually engaged to someone else. And that posed a problem. But he still hadn't really kissed Astoria, much less bedded her. In fact, she was a traditional sort of girl who wished to wait for marriage before doing the deed. That suited him just fine because he didn't want to shag her. But she was expecting some sort of affection so the best he could do was a kiss on the cheek. He couldn't bring himself to even attempt more than that. She still felt like a stranger and an unwelcome interloper on his life. Without her, maybe he and Hermione would already be together? But there was no use pondering that now. He'd just have to wait and see what happened tonight.

Hermione had gone dress shopping again and she bought a beautiful ball gown. It was black lace with flesh colored bits so it looked like the lace was see through and her skin was showing. It had a tight bodice and she felt like she should be on the Oscars red carpet wearing it. She even bought dainty little black heels to wear with it, even though the dress was so long, you couldn't really see her feet. But she wanted to look amazing so maybe Draco would eat his heart out that he wasn't her date. She doubted Astoria would look as good. Of course that woman crapped out money and probably could afford haute couture dresses made just for her body. But Hermione wasn't going to think of that. She preferred to relish in the fact that she looked amazing. She wore her hair half up and curled, with a black butterfly barrette holding her hair up. When she stood in front of the mirror, she felt like royalty. She realized she kept wondering what Draco would think and not her date, Jonathon. He was perfectly nice, but she just didn't feel anything special for him. He wasn't Draco. But she supposed it would feel nice if she bowled him over too.

Draco didn't spend near as long getting ready as Hermione did, but he did put on his best black tux with a black shirt and his nice shoes. He thought about doing his hair the way he always did it, but for some reason he decided to let it dry natural. Hermione liked it that way. And it was a stark contrast to his polished tuxedo look. Messy bed head was what she called it, which sounded like it might be derogatory, but she assured him it was a good look for him. It made him less intimidating. And he already felt like he intimidated Hermione enough. He didn't want to push her over the edge. So he felt pretty good about his look. He had no idea how Astoria was dressing, he just knew he had to pick her up soon. He was not looking forward to it. And he hoped she didn't expect him to babysit her all evening. He wanted to mingle. Alone. Namely with Hermione. That is if he could pry her out of the clutches of this Jonathon fellow. He was plotting ideas in his head of how he could separate them, when he realized it was time to go.

Hermione and Jonathon arrived at the hotel first where the Ministry had rented a ballroom. It was a brilliantly extravagant looking place and there was actually a red carpet out front where reporters for the Daily Prophet were taking pictures as they entered. Hermione and Jonathon stopped to pose for them, and then they went inside. She felt like a real celebrity because she knew her picture might actually make it to the papers given her history as a war hero. She had tried to look as happy as possible being on Jonathon's arm, as he was suitably excited to be the one who took her to this event. But when they got inside, all she could do was scan the crowd for Draco. Only she didn't see him. Not at first. He wasn't there yet. What if he chickened out and didn't show up at all? Then her pretty dress would be for nothing. She went straight to the champagne fountain and got herself a glass. She offered one to Jonathon too and he readily took it.

"I must say, you look amazing tonight. I've never had my picture taken for the papers," he said completely in awe of the whole spectacle.

"Aw, you're sweet. Thank you. And who knows if our picture will actually make it to the papers or not? It's not like we're the Minister of Magic himself," she chuckled slightly.

"If we do make it, I'm framing that picture. Proof that Hermione Granger asked me to this ball. You know I wanted to ask you myself, but I didn't think you really liked me," he added in a small voice.

"Oh Jonathon, sure I like you. You're swell," she said patting him on the head as she continued to scan the crowd for newly arrived people.

That's when she saw Draco enter with a very tall brunette on his arm. She was thin and beautiful and had her deep chestnut hair in a French twist, as she sported a long emerald green gown. Hermione instantly wondered if she could even compete with someone that beautiful. But a quick glance at Draco in his black tux, showed he wasn't smiling like she was. In fact, he looked pained. And his eyes scanned the crowd for Hermione. Once they locked eyes they both broke into a smile. But they didn't approach each other right away. Other people were talking to them both and neither one of them were listening. Finally Hermione interrupted whatever Jonathon was saying and grabbed his arm.

"Come on, there's someone I want you to meet," she said pulling him along through the crowd.

They made their way over to Draco and Astoria and he could see them coming. Hermione looked amazing, he thought. More beautiful than ever before. But he quickly broke into a small scowl when he noted Jonathon was not a troll, but a very attractive and tall dark handsome man. Just like the type Hermione said she'd go for. But he tried not to show his disgust too outwardly. When Hermione approached she ignored Astoria at first and just patted Draco on the shoulder.

"Hello Mulder," she grinned at him.

He grinned right back.

"Hello Scully."

Then they both erupted in giggles that neither of their dates understood.

"What does that mean, Draco?" Astoria asked with confusion.

"Oh sorry. Inside joke. Anyway, Astoria, this is Hermione. She's my boss," he said introducing them.

Hermione held out her hand and Astoria daintily shook it.

"Charmed I'm sure," Hermione said in a clipped tone. "Draco, this is Jonathon. Jonathon? Draco."

Jonathon held out his hand and Draco shook it firmly. Jonathon had a limp handshake and he almost broke his hand, but Jonathon didn't say anything as he massaged his wounded fingers.

"So you two work together eh?" Jonathon noted, realizing that the two of them seemed to be mesmerized by each other, making Jonathon feel out of place.

"Uh, yeah. He's my assistant," Hermione said, never taking her eyes off Draco.

"Lovely."

"Yes, that is lovely. But soon enough you should be _her_ boss, right Draco?" Astoria added trying to be a part of the conversation.

"What? No, I seriously doubt that. I'm not up for any promotions just yet," he shook his head.

"So you're happy to work for a woman then?" she wondered.

"More than happy. She's less of my boss and more of my partner. Isn't that right, Hermione?" Draco looked at her.

"Yes, that's right. He's indispensable. I'd be lost without his help."

"So I just dropped a check in their laps for this charity thing. Either of you contribute anything yet?" Draco asked looking pointedly at Jonathon.

"Afraid I haven't donated just yet. But I will. I'm sure fifty galleons will go a long way to helping out St. Mungo's," Jonathon said proudly.

"Fifty galleons? I gave them five thousand," Draco said smugly.

"Five thousand?" Hermione and Jonathon both said in unison.

"It's just money. And it's a worthy cause," Draco shrugged.

"I'm afraid my pockets aren't as deep," Jonathon said looking at his shoes.

"No worries, mate. Your fifty will buy some lucky sod a hospital meal or something," Draco patted him on the back.

"Should we dance Draco?" Astoria asked, noting that a lot of people were in fact dancing, and the truth was, she wasn't comfortable with the glances between Hermione and her man.

"I guess we could dance. Are you two gonna dance?" Draco asked the other couple.

"Yes. Absolutely. Let's all dance," Hermione said, taking Jonathon's arm.

They all walked out to the dancefloor and started dancing. It was classical type music so they waltzed which was reminiscent of the Yule Ball to Draco and Hermione. It was definitely no night club. But after a time, Draco let go of Astoria and went to Jonathon and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Can I cut in, mate?" he asked gruffly.

"Uh, sure." Jonathon stepped aside.

"You can dance with my date," Draco said flippantly as he scooped Hermione up into his arms and waltzed them away from their dates.

"This is scandalous, Draco. Dancing with me when Astoria is stuck with poor Jonathon," she admonished him.

"I don't give a fuck. Ever since I saw you across the room I've wanted to dance with you," he purred into her ear.

"Likewise," she admitted softly.

They were lost in their dance and to anyone looking at them, they could probably tell they were madly in love. It was just the way they moved together with such perfect ease. Like they were reading each other's minds. Only they weren't as confident with that skill as it seemed. But Draco was pretty sure Hermione's greeting spoke volumes. She was seeing him as Mulder. And he saw her as Scully. And would tonight be the night they finally did something about their feelings?

"Astoria is very pretty," Hermione said finally.

"Not as pretty as you," he smiled back at her. "Jonathon is a strapping bloke. Sparks there?"

"No, no sparkage. He's nice, but he's not Mulder," she whispered.

"Yeah, Astoria would make a terrible Scully too," he whispered back.

"Did you really donate all that money to charity?"

"Yes. I can do noble things like that with my money too. It's not just for fun and games," he said seriously.

"Yeah, you can. But still, I'd like you just fine even if all you gave them was your pocket change," she said just as seriously.

"You really are against me getting married huh?" he asked boldly.

"Yes, I really am."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

He was dying for her to just say something. Anything to give him a reason to stop this mess with Astoria. Something concrete. Something like love. But she didn't give it up easily.

"I think you know why," she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder.

"I think I know why too, but why won't you say it?" he asked honestly.

"Because would it make a difference? Your mind is already made up. Isn't it?"

"It is. But minds can be changed. If there's a good enough reason," he said somberly.

"I-I don't want you to lose your family for me. You're doing the right thing. Or at least the only thing you can do in order to keep the things you hold dear."

"There's only one thing I really hold dear, and that's you," he admitted it finally.

"What?" she looked at him confusedly.

"You heard me."

She just stared at him and wanted so badly to kiss him again. But before she could say anything more or do something crazy like kiss him in the middle of a Ministry function, Jonathon and Astoria tapped them both on the shoulders, breaking them out of their trance.

"Uh, we'd like our dates back now," Jonathon said, slightly perturbed at being offloaded onto some girl he didn't even know. And Astoria was turning just as green as her dress with envy. She didn't like this Hermione girl at all.

Draco and Hermione uncoupled and looked incredibly flustered. Their conversation was just getting good and now it was interrupted. But Draco was determined that they get the moment back again. He leaned over and whispered to Hermione.

"This isn't done yet," he told her.

"Yes, it is," she said softly.

Then she just grabbed Jonathon's hand and walked away with him. She had been seconds away from kissing Draco again and spilling her guts to him. Why hadn't she? Except they were interrupted. But he wanted to talk more and she shut it down. It made no sense. But everything was complicated. Draco was to be married, and she wasn't going to be responsible for him losing his family and his money. She didn't want to start a life with him where he was a broken shell of a man. It didn't seem right. None of this seemed right. So she just went to the champagne fountain and started drinking again. She wanted to obliterate her mind. Jonathon wasn't sure what was going on, but all he knew was that it was clear something was going on with Hermione and her assistant. He felt like the odd man out so he just stood there uncomfortably watching Hermione drink way too much champagne.

Draco was drinking too except he was at the open bar on the other side of the room. Astoria didn't even drink and he was knocking back whiskey like it was going out of style. He'd been so close with Hermione. She was finally going to tell him what he needed to hear. And then they were interrupted and she didn't seem to want to get the moment back again. Why not? Was it really _that_ scary? He was pretty much a sure thing since he'd told her she was the only thing he held dear. And he'd meant that. But maybe it hadn't been enough of a declaration? All he could think of was kissing her though. She was so damn beautiful tonight and she smelled so good. He wanted to scoop her up and just run away with her someplace and make out until they couldn't breathe anymore. But that wasn't likely to happen with Astoria tugging on his arm.

"Don't you think you've had enough to drink?" she asked noting how quickly he was downing the libations.

"I'll say when I've had enough," he shot back, not caring if he sounded rude or not.

"Fine."

Astoria just crossed her arms and wished her fiancé wasn't so preoccupied with that other girl. He was acting downright rude and it made her want to offer him something big just to keep his attention. She had been very certain she wanted to remain pure for her wedding night, but if Draco wanted to bed her tonight, she wouldn't say no. After all, they were going to be married. It wouldn't be that much of a scandal. Maybe if she offered him her body, he'd forget all about that other trollop? She was going to keep this tactic in mind. It may be her secret weapon. If only she could convince him to do it. Maybe if she let him get drunk enough, he'd agree? And she could be very persuasive if need be. She just kept watching him drink and stare at Hermione and she decided she'd set her plan in motion.

Hermione was so distracted by Draco, that she virtually ignored Jonathon. But finally he asked her to dance again and she felt like she had no choice but to say yes. She went to floor with him, never taking her eyes off Draco. And they danced for a time until someone else tapped Jonathon on the shoulder.

"Can I cut in?" Harry asked with a smile, only just now having noticed Hermione there.

"Again?" Jonathon grumbled unhappily. "Who is this bloke?"

"This is Harry. He's my friend. You don't mind, do you Jonathon?" Hermione said somewhat drunkenly.

"Fine."

Jonathon stalked off and Harry put his arms around Hermione so they could dance. He noted her glassy eyes and gave her a look.

"Are you very drunk?" he wondered with a slight laugh.

"Yes, I am. I couldn't help it," she lamented with a sad expression on her face.

"Why not?"

"Because Draco is here with his fiancée. She's so pretty. And perfect. How can I even compete?" she said miserably.

"Compete? Wait, you wanna _compete_? I thought you and Draco were just friends. That's what you kept telling me," he said with confusion.

"Oh Harry, I love you. But you're really clueless sometimes. I love Draco," she sighed, unable to keep her loose lips from spilling her secrets.

"You _love_ him? Since when?" Harry was astonished.

"Since I just do. I don't know how long. But he's marrying someone else!" she cried.

"Hermione, this is crazy talk. You can't possibly love him. Especially if he's engaged to someone else," he told her pointedly.

"If Ginny was engaged to someone else, you wouldn't still want her?" she asked.

Harry shook his head.

"That's not even an issue."

"But what if it was? What if she was supposed to marry someone she didn't love and leave you in the dust. What would you do?"

"I-I don't know. It's kind of hard to put myself in that position. But I suppose if you love him like I love her, I'd fight for what I wanted. Don't just bow down and give up. Does he even know how you feel? Does he feel the same?" Harry wondered, trying to take in this new information.

"I think he feels the same. And no I haven't told him. I'm scared to. What if he doesn't feel that way? Or what if he does, but it still doesn't change things? What if he still marries her?" she let tears fall from her eyes now.

"Hermione, I don't like Draco. But if you have these feelings, he deserves to know. I can't even believe I'm telling you this, but go after him! Don't let some prissy goody two shoes steal him from you," he said supportively.

"You think she's a prissy goody two shoes?"

"Probably. She looks like a bitch honestly," Harry noted glancing in their direction. "You're better than her."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. And I must be losing it to suggest this, but I think you need to be honest with him. Maybe he won't marry her if he knew how you felt? Assuming he feels the same. Which by the way he keeps looking over here, I wager he might."

"Oh Harry. I love you. You're the best. I needed to hear this. I needed someone to tell me what to do. I was just too scared to confess this secret to you," she said wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

"I may not like the guy, but I love you. And I want you to be happy. Clearly you're not happy now. And I don't think Draco is either. Go to him," he urged her, as they stopped dancing and he held her shoulders to steel her against what she had to do.

"Okay. I'll go to him. I'll tell him everything."

"Good. I hope it works out for you," he said sincerely, despite him thinking she could do better than Draco.

"Thanks."

And with that she took off into the crowd and made her way over to Draco who was very, very drunk by this time. Astoria was trying to hold his arm so he'd stay upright, but he kept pushing her away and insisting he was fine. But when he saw Hermione coming, he just stopped what he was saying and started walking to her. He left Astoria in the dust. They met halfway across the room and Hermione threw her arms around his neck.

"Let's dance," she said to him with a smile.

"You're really drunk," he slurred to her with a grin.

"So are you, Mr. Malfoy," she slurred back.

"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you looked tonight?"

"I don't remember."

"Well you do. You outshine everyone here."

"So do you. You're the only one I can't stop staring at."

"Same."

"Draco, do you love me?" she asked him finally, with hope in her drunken eyes.

He didn't say anything at first but just nodded his head.

"Yes," he said barely above a whisper.

"I love you too," she whispered back.

"Do you want to get out of this place for a minute? Go someplace more private?" he asked.

She nodded her head and he took her hand and they practically ran for the door, while Astoria seethed and Jonathon just gave up entirely. It was obvious that he was not Hermione's first choice in dates. Harry just smiled as he watched them run out and he went back to Ginny and gave her the lowdown.

"Draco and Hermione? In love with each other? That's crazy," Ginny laughed when he told her.

"I know. But I guess sometimes love is crazy like that," he sighed.

Meanwhile Draco and Hermione found themselves outside where the reporters had seemingly left and had moved inside to capture photos there. But Draco and Hermione didn't notice them. They just knew they appeared to be alone outside. Draco stopped them behind some bushes and just grabbed Hermione up and kissed her roughly. She melted into him and kissed him back just as roughly. Their tongues were colliding and their lips were devouring each other. So much pent up tension and it was finally coming out.

"What if someone sees us?" she whispered between their kisses.

"I don't care," he said, too drunk to think of the consequences.

They continued to kiss and almost tumbled over into the bushes as they lost their footing. They started laughing and broke free of each other so they could breathe a little. They held hands.

"What took you so long to say anything?" he asked her as he playfully nudged her.

"What took _you_ so bloody long?" she shot right back.

"I'm engaged to someone else. I didn't think you'd care how I felt honestly."

"Yeah, well you're a dummy. Of course I care. I thought for sure you understood everything with whole Mulder and Scully thing," she pointed out.

He laughed slightly.

"That was a pretty big anvil you handed me. But I still didn't know what to do! And you weren't making it easy," he scolded her.

"I'm sorry. I was scared. But I'm not scared anymore. I love you."

"I love you too."

And with that they kissed again and again and didn't stop until they literally needed to come up for air. What they didn't know was that they were being watched. Someone had followed them outside and stood beyond the bushes and watched the entire scene play out. And that someone was Astoria. She should have been heartbroken, except she didn't love Draco yet. But she did want him. He was her fiancé. And she was not going to lose him to some stupid tramp named Hermione. He promised her father he would marry her and she intended for him to keep that promise. She didn't much care who he actually loved. Eventually he'd learn to love her. And she'd be a good wife. A proper wife. She just had to work some magic to make it happen. Literally and figuratively. But she cleared her throat loudly and announced her presence out of their eyesight.

"Draco?" she called out and heard him scramble to get himself together.

"Just pretend you didn't hear her," Hermione whispered as they realized they were almost caught out.

"I can't. I think she saw us go outside," he whispered back. "Uh, coming Astoria!" he shouted out unsure of what else to do.

"Why'd you say that? We could have just run away!" Hermione chided him.

"Sorry!"

"Draco! There you are. And I see you're with the lovely Hermione. Were you two star gazing?" Astoria asked giving Hermione a deadly look.

"Uh, yeah. Something like that. Why don't you go inside and wait for me. Hermione and I were talking about work," he lied.

"I think I'm ready to dance again, Draco. I want you to come inside. My father said it'd be good for the press to have a picture of us dancing, and we barely have. Don't you want to be on the front page of the Prophet with me?" she asked hopefully, knowing he really did not care. But she did.

"Um, alright. I'll be right there," he said trying to get rid of her.

But she wasn't budging.

"I'll wait."

Draco just shot Hermione a desperate look and she sighed and motioned for him to go back to his fiancée. After all, what else could she do at this point. But at least they'd been honest with each other finally. They loved each other. But what did it all mean? Was he going to break up with Astoria? If so, it didn't appear he was doing it right now. Not when he went back inside with her and left Hermione standing alone outside. She took a deep breath and walked back into the hotel and tried to find Harry, but she bumped into Jonathon instead. He handed her another glass of champagne in a last ditch effort to gain her attention.

"Here you go. I wondered where you ran off to," he said pleasantly.

"I uh, had to speak to Draco. It was a work thing," she told him unconvincingly.

"Well drink up. Then maybe we can dance some more."

"Sure."

She scanned the crowd and saw Draco dancing with Astoria. He looked utterly put out but there were some cameras going off in their direction. Maybe Astoria would get her wish and be in the paper? But Hermione knew who had his heart. She just didn't know what was supposed to happen next. So she drank more to cloud up her mind and make it hurt less to watch him dancing with another girl.

Draco was miserable dancing with Astoria. But she seemed quite pleased because a photographer did snap their photo and she made sure she held him tightly for it. He wasn't smiling though. He couldn't smile. Not outside of Hermione's presence. And he didn't know what was really going on there. They'd confessed their feelings finally and had an amazing make out session, but he was still betrothed to this other girl. It was a quandary. And he was way too drunk to form any sort of coherent thoughts. But after they had their picture taken, Draco wanted to stop dancing. He spied Hermione dancing with Jonathon and it made his blood boil. But he knew he had nothing to be jealous of. It still unnerved him though to see another man put his hands on her. So he went and got another drink. And this is where his evening went all wrong. He was very drunk already and didn't need more to drink. His senses weren't as sharp as they needed to be and his mind wasn't working too well either. Astoria let him down his drink and then she discreetly pulled out her wand so that no one could see and she asked if Draco would take her home to his place. He started to protest but she hit him with a spell that confounded him.

"What did you say?" he asked, shaking his head to try and clear out the fuzziness in his brain.

"I said take me home to your place," she repeated.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," he told her.

She hit him with the spell again.

"Let's go to your place," she repeated again.

He was so confused he didn't know what he was doing. He just nodded his head and the next thing he realized he wasn't at the party anymore. He was inside his house. And Astoria was with him. How did they even get there? He didn't remember apparating or anything. He knew he was drunk but he didn't realize he was that drunk that he wouldn't remember going home. But the next thing he knew he was in his bedroom and Astoria had taken off her dress. He looked at her bewildered and she just kept confounding him over and over until he passed out in the bed. She smiled to herself and went about the business of undressing him. She was going to offer him her body, but the next best thing would be for him to think they'd had sex, when in reality they never did. That would work just as well. And then she could set phase two of her plan in motion. She just had to get Draco to believe he'd slept with her. And it shouldn't be too hard. She'd hit him with so many confounding spells it was amazing he didn't lose all his memory. But he just lay passed out in the bed, now in his underwear. And Astoria slipped in next to him in her underwear and pulled the covers over the top of them. Then she snuggled down under his arm and went to sleep.

In the morning Draco woke up feeling like death. He didn't remember how he got home, or what had happened. The last thing he remembered was kissing Hermione and telling her he loved her. And now he was undressed in his bed. And he wasn't alone. A small smile crept up on his face when he realized he must have taken Hermione home with him. He didn't remember doing it, but someone was next to him. So he leaned over and snuggled up to her and went to kiss her when he realized it was Astoria. He sat bolt upright in the bed and gasped in horror. What had he done? And how come he didn't remember doing it? He never would have slept with Astoria. She was a virgin and waiting for their wedding day. This couldn't be what it looked like at all. But when she woke up sleepily and tried to kiss him, he just pushed her away.

"What the fuck happened?" he asked in confusion.

"Oh Draco. Stop. You know what happened," she laughed slightly, rubbing his arm.

"No. That's not right. We didn't do _that_. Did we?" he asked shaking his head.

"I told you I wanted to wait, but you were so insistent we do it right away. You said you didn't want to wait. So I gave in. I mean, you are pretty charming after all," she said batting her eyelashes at him.

"But this can't be real. I never would have done that," he said not believing his own supposed actions.

"You were drunk. I guess you were lonely," she shrugged.

He just sat there and didn't believe any of this, but why would she lie? How else did they get into his bed all undressed? He knew he drank a lot but he didn't realize he'd lose his entire mind. If Hermione found out about this, she'd kill him. It was bad enough he was engaged but actually shagging his fiancée moments after declaring his love for another woman? That made zero sense. But he had to accept it at face value. What else could he do? He just never wanted Hermione to know. Ever. It was a drunken mistake. Maybe he'd tried to take Hermione home and she said no, and he was just desperate for a shag? No, that didn't sound like him. He had a hand and he could take care of himself if need be. He'd never stoop to bedding Astoria. Except apparently he did.

"You really don't remember our love making?" Astoria asked, noting how utterly bewildered he was.

"No, I don't remember anything at all. I don't even remember coming home."

"Well now I feel silly. It was my first time and you don't even remember it? I'm embarrassed," she said putting on a fake show for him.

"God it was your first time… and I don't remember it. I'm sorry," he apologized to her.

"Don't apologize. We'll have many other nights together once we're married," she smiled as she snuggled up under his arm.

He bristled at her touch and just sat there reeling. This was the worst thing that could ever happen to him. Hermione was never going to forgive this. And he couldn't forgive himself either. He just wouldn't tell her. He couldn't. This was as bad as it got, he thought to himself. But Astoria just smiled to herself and thought Draco had no idea how much worse it was going to get.

 **To be continued…. Please leave feedback! I love reviews! They keep me writing faster….**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters here. I just use them for my own amusement. JK Rowling and co. own them No copyright infringement intended.

 **Summary:** When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.

 **Author's note:** Lyrics by Marc Almond

 **Wildest Dreams**

 _I'm a labyrinth of hopes and fears  
Of tears of frustration and of anger  
But if you can break through this wall  
And search amongst it all  
You'll find a man there  
Who has a heart of love  
Who is afraid of getting jaded  
Growing older  
Who needs someone to love him  
Through life's winter  
When the weather grows a little colder_

Hermione sat lay in her bed nursing a headache from too much champagne the night before. She was also very confused and hurt by Draco's disappearing act. He never even said goodbye to her. She was watching him as intently as she could, but she got distracted when Harry found her and asked what happened. She was busy telling him the story about the love declarations and the make out session when she looked over again, Draco was just gone. She'd looked everywhere for him, and he'd vanished, along with Astoria. To say that she was disappointed was the understatement of the year. How could he just leave without even telling her goodbye? But she'd found some solace in Jonathon, surprisingly enough. He'd put the pieces together and realized Hermione was very much smitten with her assistant, Draco. And he asked her if she was going to be alright now that he was gone. He was incredibly understanding, despite his disappointment that they hadn't made a love connection. But he told her that anyone with eyes could tell she was in love with Draco. And vice versa. So his thinking was, Astoria got jealous and made them leave. Without letting him say goodbye. She supposed Jonathon might be right. She had no other explanation. But he'd been very sweet and saw her home because she was drunk and crying. She was a mess. And he was a perfect gentlemen, leaving her only once she was safely tucked away inside her apartment. He kissed her hand and told her goodnight and said he hoped they'd be friends. She was touched by it, and maybe in another life, Jonathon could capture her heart? But in this life, Draco was the only one who had that honor. And he was missing in action.

She intended to go see him if he didn't come see her. They needed to talk more, preferably without other people around. They'd made some serious headway with each other, but he'd still left the party with his supposed fiancée. That made Hermione's blood boil. Shouldn't Draco have just told her to shove off? But she supposed it was more complicated than that. He'd already promised everyone he'd marry her. It wasn't so easy to break an engagement and a business deal, she supposed. But she wanted him to end it with her as soon as possible. But she didn't know if he would. Maybe their love wasn't enough to stop him from making this mistake? Maybe he just thought they'd sneak around forever and he'd get married anyway? She wasn't sure she wanted to live like that. She didn't want to be the 'other woman'. She wanted to be the _only_ woman. But maybe Draco didn't realize that? Maybe his riches and his family still took precedence despite him telling her that she was the only thing he held dear? She wasn't sure of any of it, which was why she was so eager to see him.

She got out of bed and jumped in the shower. She hoped it would perk her up and help ease her aching head. Why did she drink so much champagne? She was hating herself for it now. But once she was all showered and dressed for the day, she sat at her table and ate some toast to settle her queasy stomach. She sipped some tea as well and figured that if Draco had not shown up at her place by the time she was done, she was just going to go to his place. She had to. She had to see him.

Draco was in a state where he wanted to kill himself mostly. He could not believe what he'd drunkenly done. And Astoria seemed so fucking happy about it, he didn't know what to say to her. She tried be all lovey and affectionate to him and even offered to cook him breakfast. He said no, but she insisted, so he found himself sitting in his kitchen with her wearing nothing but his tuxedo shirt, flipping eggs over in a pan. He wanted to hang himself. How could he break up with her now? It was going to be a lot more complicated, that's for sure. But he knew he had to do it. He couldn't keep this charade up when he knew Hermione loved him. But what was he going to tell his family? What was he going to tell Astoria and her family? He'd made a promise to them all and he never usually went back on his promises. Especially now that he'd been intimate with Astoria. He'd robbed her of her virtue and he didn't even remember doing it. He felt like an asshole. She was in love with him so much so that she offered him her virginity, and he felt bad because he really could care less. And he thought a better man would care more about something like that. But how could he care for her feelings, when all he could think of was Hermione and her feelings? She'd flip out if she knew he fucked Astoria. Whether he was drunk or not, it was still a horrible thing to do to her. And he still didn't know what the hell possessed him to do it. It wasn't like him. He loved sex, sure. But he had never been so desperate for it that he'd shag Astoria behind Hermione's back. He could wait for Hermione. Whenever they might get together. That was his plan. But apparently in his drunken state all his plans went up in smoke.

Astoria handed him over the eggs and sat across from him with a big grin on her face.

"Are you gonna eat them? I made them how you said you liked them," she told him.

"I'm not that hungry, but I'll try and eat them. Thanks," he said, digging in with his fork, and wishing she'd just bloody get the fuck out of his house. But he didn't feel like he could say that to her. "Aren't you eating anything?"

"Nope. I'm just watching you. I like to take care of my man. And this is what you'll have to look forward to when we're married. Me cooking you meals and wearing nothing but a shirt," she said coyly.

"Splendid," he lied and took a bite of his eggs. He wished he could say they were burned or disgusting but she made a good breakfast. But so what? He bet Hermione could cook an egg too.

"So what are we going to do today?" she asked happily. "I was thinking we might go antiquing in the next village over. There are bound to be some lovely pieces we could put on our list for the wedding gifts."

"What? No. I've got plans. Sorry," he said, not wanting to spend the whole fucking day with her. He wanted to see Hermione. He didn't even know if he'd told her goodbye last night. He wanted Astoria to leave so he could go see her.

"Plans? What plans?" she asked with disappointment.

"I'm having a day with a pal of mine. We're going go-Kart racing," he lied, trying to pick an activity she'd not invite herself along with.

"Oh. I did expect we'd spend the day together after last night…"

"I'm sorry, but I made these plans a while ago."

"Alright. Well I do hope we'll have supper together, won't we?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't know. I plan to be gone all day and then me and my friend are probably going to hit a pub. Maybe another time?" he said putting her off.

"Fine. If that's how you want it. But when we're married, I do expect you to set aside some time for me," she said crossly as she got up and walked out of the kitchen.

Draco just let out a deep breath, happy to be out of her presence. She was a bossy little thing. He didn't feature her being so damn demanding about his time because she never was before. But now he supposed that they'd taken things to a new level, she expected more. And that was no good. He didn't want to give her more. He just wanted her gone. He just didn't know how to do that yet. Once he'd finished eating his breakfast, he tossed the plate into the sink and caught Astoria as she was heading down the stairs in her evening gown. It was the only outfit she had. But she looked really upset and he felt slightly remorseful, but not enough that he wanted to spend the day with her.

"I'm leaving now. I do hope you have fun. And just so you know, we're having brunch tomorrow with my family. So if you have plans then, cancel them. I've already promised we'd be there," she said snottily.

"Brunch? When were you planning on telling me this?" he asked with confusion.

"I just told you right now. I figured you wouldn't mind. We don't see enough of each other. But I trust you'll be at my family home at ten am sharp. And do comb your hair this time. I don't know what you were thinking with this mop on your head last night," she said, touching his hair distastefully.

He wanted to tell her that Hermione liked it that way, but he bit his tongue. He just nodded and said brunch was a go. Then he showed her out of the house and he slumped down on the floor next to the door. What was he going to do? He had fucked up in the worst way possible. There was no way Hermione would ever forgive this if she knew. But he wasn't going to tell her. Which only made him feel dishonest and like a total fuckwit. But he knew if he said something, Hermione would bolt and probably slap the shit out of him. And he'd have it coming. Why couldn't he control his hormones?

He sat in the foyer of his house and tears rolled down his cheeks. He was disgusted with himself. He didn't know how to live with what he'd done, and he didn't know how to get out of the mess he was in. Logic told him he should just tell everyone to fuck off and leave him alone, but then he still had the secret that he'd slept with Astoria. And if Hermione knew, she'd leave him. He had no doubt. He didn't deserve her loyalty. He didn't know, but he assumed she didn't fuck Jonathon after the party. And if she did, he'd rather not know either. So maybe it was just a kindness to never tell her? Maybe he wasn't a horrible person? He wasn't sure. He just didn't want to be punished for a mistake he didn't even remember making.

Just then, there was a knock at his door. He prayed it was not Astoria again. But when he looked out the peephole, he saw it was Hermione. He took a deep breath and wiped his eyes and opened the door slowly.

"Hey. Where'd you' go last night?" she asked as he peeked his head around the door.

"I'm sorry. I guess I left. I honestly don't remember," he admitted as he motioned for her to come inside.

She walked in and he shut the door behind her. Then he faced her and realized he couldn't look her in the eye.

"What's wrong? You're acting strangely," she noted his shifty behavior.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm sorry. It's just I have a really bad hangover. I drank way too fucking much last night. That's why I don't remember leaving. If I had known what I was doing, I would have said something to you," he assured her.

"I was worried. But Jonathon said Astoria was probably jealous of me and made you leave. Is that true?"

"Jonathon said that? Well how observant of him. Did you go home with him?" he asked accusingly, trying to assuage his own guilt. If she went home with Jonathon, maybe he wouldn't feel so bad.

"No of course not! He's just a friend. He was very sweet actually. But no. I love you, Draco. Don't you still love me?" she asked nervously, not understanding his behavior.

"Of course I do. You're the one good thing in my life. I'm sorry. I'm just out of sorts. It was a weird night," he admitted as he took her hands and held them tightly.

"I've been standing here for over a minute now and you've not even kissed me," she pouted.

He smiled and leaned over and kissed her lips. She tasted so sweet that he never wanted to stop kissing her. But he finally pulled back for air.

"I'm never going to get tired of kissing you," he whispered, holding her close to him.

"I'm never going to tire of it either. I was so worried that something changed last night. I-I mean aside from the obvious. We finally admitted our feelings. But then you just left. Poof. Disappeared. I had no idea what to think," she told him seriously.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione. I didn't mean to do that. I wasn't thinking clearly at all and I must have just blacked out. It's all a blur," he admitted, caressing her arms gently.

"You remember us though right? What we said? What we did?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes. I remember it all. We said we loved each other. And then there was lots of kissing. I definitely remember the kissing. But then after that, it's a blur."

"Did you take Astoria home?" she wondered.

"Uh, yeah. I guess. I don't remember. But she's not here, so obviously she went home right?" he said, trying not to feel guilty.

"Yeah. That's good. God, if she was here when I showed up I think I'd barf and faint. Probably in that order. I-I don't want to think of you with her at all," she confessed making a face.

"You don't have to worry. She means nothing to me," he said honestly. Even if he was hiding a terrible secret.

"Can you just be kissing me now?" she asked with a small smile.

He grinned at her and pulled her to him and kissed her wildly. He'd never tire of those lips. She was the best kisser he'd ever known, and she could say the same for him. They were lost in each other. And soon fell to the floor and pawed at each other desperately. Hermione thought they'd have sex, but for some reason Draco put the brakes on before things got really good. He pulled back from her and looked at her breathlessly.

"Let's slow it down. We've got all the time in the world. I-I don't want to rush things," he said. The truth was, guilt was eating him alive. He couldn't possibly share his bed with Hermione when Astoria had just vacated it moments earlier.

"You don't want me?" she asked suddenly feeling hurt by his actions, or rather non-actions.

"Of course I want you. God, I want nothing more," he said earnestly. "But not right this moment. And not when I'm hungover. Let's wait a bit and make it special."

"Okay. I can wait. I thought I'd be waiting forever honestly. I never thought we'd get this moving," she told him.

"I didn't either. I really didn't. But I'm so happy we did. Why don't we go somewhere today? Just us two. I'll even let you pick the activity," he said trying to get her away from his house and his rumpled bed without clean sheets on it.

"Okay. Um, maybe we could go see a movie? I know it doesn't really give us time to talk, but honestly, I'm kind of in a mindless mood. I drank a lot myself last night. Not that I don't remember! I do. But I was pretty far gone," she admitted with a slight laugh.

"A movie sounds perfect. And then maybe dinner?" he offered.

"Yeah. I'd like that."

"Okay. Just let me shower and change and you pick a movie. The newspaper is on the kitchen table," he told her as he gave her another kiss and headed up the stairs to wash away the Astoria off his skin. He didn't even feel right touching Hermione with the possible scent of sex with another woman on his person. He felt too horrible.

So he went to shower, and Hermione sat down at the kitchen table and perused the paper. She found a nice romantic comedy to watch and it started in an hour and half. They should have plenty of time. She got up from the kitchen table and noticed there were half eaten eggs in the sink along with a pan. And next to the sink a woman's bracelet sat. She scrunched up her nose at it and picked it up. It was filled with diamonds and emeralds and looked startlingly like the one Astoria wore last night. But why would it be in Draco's kitchen? She picked it up and looked at it and then she took it to the couch with her. Was Astoria at Draco's place last night? Did they go home together? She wasn't sure. But how else could the bracelet have gotten there? She didn't like to think of them together in any capacity, but what scenario would have her leaving a bracelet in the kitchen? It didn't make any sense. But Hermione waited for Draco to ask him about it. She didn't like where her mind was going with it and needed him to ease her conscience.

He walked down the stairs, all fresh and clean and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. His feet were still bare and he smiled at Hermione at least until he saw her holding Astoria's bracelet. Why did that bitch leave that lying around? He pretended he didn't see what she had in her hand though, and just breezed into the living room.

"I'm just about ready. Did you pick a movie?" he asked happily.

"Uh, yeah. I picked one. Draco, what is this doing in your kitchen?" she held up the offending jewelry item.

"That? I don't know," he lied.

"Doesn't this belong to Astoria?" she prodded him.

"Yeah, it does. She probably dropped it here before we left for the ball," he said trying to cover it up.

"Huh? No. That can't be right. I saw her wearing it at the ball. Did she come back here with you last night?" she wondered curiously.

"No. Of course not."

"I thought you said you didn't remember most of the end of last night. Was she here?"

"I don't know. Maybe?" he shrugged, wishing she'd stop playing detective. Maybe she was like Scully after all?

"You don't know if she was here last night? Was she here this morning? I saw the eggs in the sink."

"I can cook eggs," he said defensively.

"But were you wearing her bracelet while you did it?" she pushed him.

"What do you want me to say, Hermione? She may have been here. But I didn't fucking invite her! She invited herself. I was too drunk to even protest," he said holding up his hands.

"Oh my God. Did she spend the night here?" she asked feeling a wave of nausea hit her.

"No!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm fucking sure. I think I'd know if someone spent the night."

"Right. I'm being silly. Sorry Draco. I-I don't know what got into me. I just got really jealous for a moment. I apologize," she said putting the bracelet down and shaking her head in dismay of her own actions.

"It's okay. No worries. It's just you know I'd never spend the night with her willingly," he told her with much honesty. He never would do it on purpose but apparently when he was black out drunk he thought it was a grand plan. But he could never tell Hermione. Not when she already seemed so upset. She'd never understand.

"I know you'd never do that to me. I know you don't want her. I guess I just lost it for a moment. I mean, you did disappear with her last night. I-I had no idea what to think," she stammered slightly.

"It's fine. Let's just go to the movies, shall we?" he offered her his hand and she readily took it.

"I'm sorry if I doubted you," she said, giving him a kiss.

"It's water under the bridge," he told her, feeling like an utter shithead.

They just took off to the movie and enjoyed each other's company and Draco tried not to think about what he'd done. Or the fact that he was lying straight to Hermione's face about it. That was what killed him. If she hadn't asked questions, he wouldn't have to lie exactly. He'd just omit the truth. But now he was an outright liar and it pained him inside. He hated himself almost as much as he did when he was trying to kill Dumbledore. That's how bad he felt. And he didn't know what to do. He couldn't fix this. It was done. All he could do was never repeat it. No matter how drunk he might get, he'd never repeat it. And maybe if enough time passed it wouldn't seem real anymore? It didn't seem real now, especially since he didn't remember it. But it apparently happened. He wanted to strangle himself for it though. The world would be better off, he thought. Hermione would definitely be better off without him in her life.

When they got to dinner, he was feeling slightly better because the movie had been so nice. They'd shared a popcorn and a soda and held hands the entire time. It was just about perfect, if there wasn't a dark cloud hanging over his head. But he was determined to forget it as they ate dinner in a small casual restaurant that served up plates of spaghetti that they both had been craving. They even fed each other a little and Draco couldn't help but love her even more. She was so perfect. She was everything he ever wanted.

When they finished eating their meal, she leaned over the table and kissed his lips gently.

"Still love me?" she asked with a shy smile.

"In my life, I've never loved anything more," he told her.

"Good. That's what I want to hear," she said grinning wildly.

"Now that it's finally left my lips, I never want to stop saying it. I love you, Hermione Granger. I love you!" he said with a gregarious laugh.

"I love you too, Draco Malfoy! God, I never thought I'd say that shit," she laughed herself.

"Hey now. I'm insulted. Am I really that bad?" he held up his hands in defeat.

"A couple of years ago, I would have probably drowned myself rather than spend time with you. But things change," she shrugged.

"They really do change," he admitted holding her hands across the table.

"Are you still getting married?" she tossed out, eager to know the answer to the one question she was afraid to ask.

He was quiet for a time and then he shook his head.

"I don't think so. I don't know. It's complicated."

"Complicated? But you love me. Don't you want to marry me someday?"

"Of course I do. I'd love nothing more. But you have to understand that my family would never approve," he said seriously.

"I don't give a shit. I mean, a few years ago, I'd never approve of this either, and yet here I am. They'll get used to me. And I bet they wouldn't even disown you if you told them how in love we were," she said hopefully.

"Darling you don't know my family that well. They'd never get used to it. But that doesn't negate how I feel. I just don't know what to do," he said earnestly. "I'm confused."

"Well let me simple it up for you. Ditch her, and marry me," she grinned at him.

"Are you asking me to marry you?" he laughed slightly. "That's a bold statement. And it's my job! Not yours!"

"So? I'm throwing away gender stereotypes. I want to marry you someday. And I don't want you to marry someone else. So in my world, that means you pick me."

"I would pick you. In a heartbeat."

"But?"

"I didn't say there was a but," he assured her.

"It sounds like it to me though," she said softly.

"I'm not trying to make excuses, it's just very complicated. I'm going to disappoint a lot of people. And I'm going to lose a lot. Are you sure you want a poor man who can't even pay for meals when we go out?" he asked her.

"I don't care about money, Draco. And I know you're going to disappoint people, but you have to live your life for you. Not for someone else," she urged him.

"I know. I know all that, yet it's still hard. I'm so used to bowing down to everything my father asks of me. I don't know how to stand up to him," he admitted with an embarrassed look.

"You just have to do it. Maybe he'll be more understanding than you'd think? But you'll never know unless you try. And if he's not understanding, then you don't need that in your life. You deserve to be happy," she said sincerely.

"I never thought I deserved anything except a swift kick to the head. At least that's what everyone told me," he said to her.

"Who ever said that to you?"

"Everyone just about. I was not a very well-liked person, Hermione. My own parents couldn't even stand me most of the time. And you may love me now, but there was a time you hated me just as much as everyone else did," he reminded her.

"That was ages ago. And you're different now. You deserve happiness. Not to be punished for your past actions. I think you've punished yourself enough," she told him seriously.

"I'm not sure if there is such a thing as too much punishment for some people," he said softly, unable to look her in the eye. She was defending him, and he'd betrayed her. He wasn't deserving of this support.

"I don't think that's true at all. You're a good man. A good man whom bad things have happened to. But you have to stand up for yourself. You have to take your life back. Remember how proud you felt getting this Ministry job all on your own, without your father's help. Life can always feel like that if you let it," she said, taking his hands and holding them.

She was trying to show him that he had options and didn't have to cower down to his father's wishes. Even if he lost things, he'd still gain more than he ever lost. He'd have his self-respect. But he was a harder sell on it. He just sighed and leaned back in his chair and didn't say anything at first. What could he really say? She had a point, but if she knew what a terrible person he really was, she'd feel differently. Of that he was sure. He just didn't feel like he could make any decisions right now. They were all so life and death. He just wanted to forget all about it and enjoy Hermione's company. But she felt like she needed answers. And he didn't know how to give them.

She finally broke his silence when she could see he was in pain while lost in thought.

"Draco, it's alright. Forget I said anything. I don't want to push you to do anything before you're ready. I just need to know that you're going to choose me," she said in a small worried voice.

"Love, of course I choose you. I'll break it off with Astoria. I promise. I just need a little time. Please just give me a little time. That's all I'm asking. I need to figure stuff out. Maybe hide some money away. Pay off my house. Make it so I'm not a penniless beggar on the streets when all this goes to hell," he told her, trying to explain his silence.

"Okay. I'll give you time. It's alright. As long as I know that it's me you want, I'll be okay," she smiled at him.

"It's definitely you. It will always be you. I promise you that," he smiled back.

"Then that's all I need to know."

"I love you, Hermione."

"I love you too."

And with that they just sat across the table from each other and held hands in silence. This time, for once, it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was perfect. It was just what the other person needed. They wanted to be connected, but didn't need to always be talking. They could just hold hands and smile at each other and exist in the same space quietly. And it was okay. It was what they'd both been searching for their entire lives. And Draco just hoped he wasn't going to ruin it.

 **To be continued…. Thanks for all the reviews! I love them. So keep them coming! It helps me write even faster….**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters here. I just use them for my own amusement. JK Rowling and co. own them No copyright infringement intended.

 **Summary:** When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.

 **Author's note:** Lyrics by The Goo Goo Dolls

 **Wildest Dreams**

 _It's hard to lead the life you choose  
All I wanted  
When all your luck's run out on you  
All I wanted  
And you can't see when all your dreams are coming true_

 _Oh yeah it's easy to forget  
And you choke on the regrets _

_Stranger than your sympathy  
All these thoughts you stole from me  
I'm not sure where I belong  
No where's home and I'm all wrong_

A few weeks went by and things were going pretty well between Draco and Hermione. He'd stopped feeling as guilty and had tried to spend as much time with Hermione as possible, outside of work. But they still hadn't made love, much to Hermione's dismay. She didn't know what he was waiting for. But every time they got close to something good, he'd put the brakes on. The guilt would creep up on him, and he'd remember that he was still technically engaged to someone else. And that he'd slept with her. It was too much for him to handle. He felt like if he slept with Hermione under false pretenses, he'd be an even bigger shithead than he already felt he was. But he also knew he couldn't put her off forever. And he also couldn't put off breaking his engagement forever either. He had been coasting by for weeks now, just splitting his time between women, and never telling the other one what he was doing. It was a shitty thing to do to both of them. And he hated himself when he allowed himself to look in a mirror. But if he skipped mirrors and lived in the moment, the guilt was less. But how could a person live like that forever? They couldn't. He had to take an action. He had to do something. He couldn't keep up this double life. So he decided that it was high time he sent Astoria packing. He didn't love her. And he'd not touched her at all since that night she said they made love. The only affection she ever got were pecks on the cheek and the occasional hand holding. All initiated by her. He just went along. But it was time for it to end. It was the only way for him to start his life over again. No matter the consequences. He was ready to do it. He was prepared to lose it all. Hermione was that important to him, that he'd do this. For her. For them. For himself. It needed to be done.

So when they were sitting down to dinner at a fancy restaurant in the city, Astoria kept trying to hold Draco's hand over the table. But he kept pulling it away. She was getting exasperated with him and finally asked him what his problem was.

"Nothing is my problem. I'm just not a fan of PDA," he lied.

"PDA? What on earth is that?" she wondered.

"Public displays of affection. I don't like it. So stop trying to hold my hand," he said resentfully.

"Fine. I never knew you were so weird. I would think you'd be proud to show me off as yours," she said with her nose in the air.

"Look Astoria, it's been real interesting with us. But I don't think it's going to work," he said, finally blurting it all out.

"What do you mean?" she asked quizzically.

"You heard me. It's not working. I don't have feelings for you. I think we need to end this. And now."

" _Now_? Are you mad? We're supposed to get married!" she said angrily.

"I realize that, but I don't love you. It's all wrong. And I think it's just best we parted company and went our separate ways," he said letting out a deep breath.

She just looked at him and couldn't believe what he was saying. She'd been as charming as possible, and he still didn't want her? He still thought he was in love with that other tramp? The mudblood she'd read about in the papers? That was nonsense. She looked Draco straight in the eyes and launched phase two of her plan.

"You can't break it off with me. You already promised my family and me," she said with a steely gaze.

"I don't care. None of that matters. We're just not suited."

"Fine. Well I'll have you know that you don't have much of a choice in this matter anymore," she said haughtily.

"Yes, I do. It's still my life," he shot back.

"I'm pregnant," she said giving him the hardest look ever.

"What?" He felt the floor fall out from beneath him and it seemed as if he tumbled straight into hell. "What did you say?"

"You heard me. I'm pregnant. I was going to tell you when I was farther along, but I took a test and it was positive," she lied.

"What?" he was in utter shock and disbelief.

"Stop saying what. You heard me the first time. I'm having your baby. So you _have_ to marry me. Or else I'll look like a tramp! And if my daddy finds out you coerced me into having sex with you, he'll castrate you," she said heatedly.

"Excuse me? _Coerced you_? I think you fucking made that choice on your own. You're a grown up. I didn't force you to do anything," he said just as heatedly.

"I wanted to remain pure and you wanted sex. You were insistent. What was I supposed to do? I didn't want to upset you! And now I'm pregnant. So you better stand up and marry me. You have no choice," she told him vehemently.

He just sat there and realized his life had exploded into chaos. Utter shit. Totally annihilation. How could Astoria be _pregnant_? Had it even been long enough for her to know? He wasn't sure, but he supposed it was possible. It had been almost a month. But still. It didn't make any sense.

"We only did it once. How did this happen?" he asked despondently.

"It only takes once, you moron. You're the one who said I didn't need protection," she lied to him again, trying to blame him for the entire thing.

"I said that? I don't fucking remember saying that. In fact, I don't fucking remember fucking you in the first place! So no, this is not happening," he said, refusing to believe it.

"Stop using foul language in my presence. We have a baby to think of. Do you want him or her to hear their father talking this way to their mother?" she wanted to know.

"Oh my God, shut up. You can't be pregnant. You can't! I don't even remember us having sex!" he said standing up from his chair and making a scene in the restaurant.

"Do sit down right now. You're embarrassing us both!" she said crossly as she glared at him.

He looked around and realized the entire place was looking at him and Astoria so he just cleared his throat and sat back down again. Vowing to himself to be quieter about the end of his life than he was being.

"Listen, you can't be pregnant. It's not possible," he said quietly but sternly.

"We slept together, so yes, it's possible. And I already took a test. Do you want to see it? Because I'll show you," she said, hoping he'd say no, because there was no test. But she was willing to conjure one up if need be.

"I don't wanna see the fucking test, okay? It's just what do you want me to say? That I'm happy? I'm not. I don't love you. I don' t want to marry you. And I want out of this mess!" he said angrily in the quietest voice possible.

"Well too bad. You're stuck with me. You'll learn to love me. And our baby. I think it's going to be a boy. I can just feel it," she said with a wicked little smile.

"A boy huh? You can just _tell_ that? After a month? It's the size of a popcorn kernel! You don't know what it is. You can't," he told her with desperate fury.

"A mother's intuition is strong. And I think this will be a boy. The spitting image of his daddy," she said, rubbing her stomach affectionately.

Draco just stared at her and wondered what she wanted him to do. Be happy? Be thrilled that she thought it was a boy? What if he wanted a girl huh? But no, women like her always wanted to produce sons for the bloodline. But fuck that. Fuck all of that. He didn't want to believe this. But it was apparently happening.

"What do we do now?" he asked, sighing loudly.

"You marry me. And fast. Before anyone knows that I'm pregnant. I say the sooner the better. Then we can pretend it happened on our honeymoon," she said with a gleeful smile.

"Fuck. Fuckity fuck, fuck!" he muttered under his breath. This was NOT in the plan. He was furious and despondent and in shock. He wanted to throw up, but he couldn't even feel nauseous because he was so numb inside.

"Stop swearing!" she scolded him.

"I am the man here. And I will fucking say fuck, if I wanna say fuck! You will be quiet and stop telling me what to do!" he said, sounding just like his father. So much so that it scared him to death. He felt tears prick his eyes, but he refused to let Astoria see them. He took deep breaths to calm himself, but it wasn't helping.

"I'm sorry, Draco. You're right. You are the man, and I won't tell you what to do," she said softly, hoping that if she bowed down to his wishes, she'd gain his favor.

He didn't really think that men had a say over women, but in circles like they traveled, that was the best way to shut down an argument. So he just used it. He knew Astoria would fall in line, if she wanted him to be with her. But it was something his father would do and that sickened him. The whole thing sickened him. He didn't know what he was going to do. He finally had the courage to break it off and now she was pregnant? What could he even tell Hermione? He'd have to tell her the truth. She was expecting him to finally be free of this engagement and now Astoria wanted to marry as soon as possible. Before anyone found out about the baby. _The baby_. My God, he thought, he couldn't believe there was an actual _baby_ to consider. He wasn't ready for that. He wasn't ready for any of this. And it was clear that his life was incredibly over. He was going to lose the woman he really loved, and be chained in a loveless high society marriage with a snobby bitch he couldn't stand. How was this his life? When his father made him bow down to Voldemort, he swore he'd never listen to his father again. But he had been stupid and forgave him and fell in line like he was supposed to. He let his father dictate everything again and now this was the mess he was in. And he had no possible way out.

"I don't want to marry you," he said finally in a low voice.

"I know. But you have to. I promise I'll make it worth your while. I'll be a good wife. You'll see," she said.

"When?"

"When what?"

"When do we get married?"

"Next month."

Fuck, that was too soon. That was way sooner than he'd ever imagined. But he supposed they had to move quickly now. No one could know he'd knocked her up before their wedding. Especially not her family. He'd stolen her virginity and gotten her pregnant. The least he could do was marry her. But he didn't want to. Not at all. Not even close. And he just sat there and wondered what the fuck he was gonna say to Hermione. He knew he'd blown that. All chances for them to be together had vanished now. He really did not have a choice at this point. Not like before where he was simply worried about money and seeing his mum. This was serious business. He _had_ to marry her. There was no other option. Unless he wanted to die at the hands of her father. Which he didn't. Being without Hermione was going to feel like dying, but it was better than actually dying. Which was the alternative. And he could never ask Hermione to be his mistress. That would be extremely unfair to everyone involved. He was going to have to let her go. As much as it pained him, he felt like he had no choice anymore. But all he really wanted to do was cry.

He didn't have anything to say for the rest of the dining experience. In fact, when his food arrived, he couldn't even begin to eat it. So it sat untouched on his plate, while Astoria gobbled up her meal. She claimed she was eating for two now and needed her nourishment. But he didn't really listen to her. He couldn't. She was prattling on about baby names and the wedding party and all he wanted to do was shoot himself in the head. It would be a kinder fate than the one he had in store for himself. Why had he been so stupid? How could he have slept with this woman he didn't even like? Alcohol was a dangerous thing obviously, but it didn't stop him from ordering several drinks and downing them, despite Astoria's protests. He had an empty stomach so the booze hit him harder than it normally would, but he didn't care. He just wanted to numb the pain of all this. He wanted to forget. He wanted out of this arrangement but now he had no hope of that. His life was well and truly fucked. And he just sat there and stared at his food and drifted off into some sort of trance like state. It was the only way he could cope.

When the meal was over, he paid the check and told Astoria he was taking her home. She protested at first, but when she saw the look in his eyes, she relented. He just needed some time to adjust, she thought. But he'd come around. Maybe he'd even be happy? She only hoped so. She didn't know exactly what her next move was going to be, but she hoped that they'd marry quickly and she'd get pregnant on their honeymoon. And if that didn't happen, she'd just tell him she lost the baby. Well after they were already hitched, that is. She wasn't about to lose him now. Not when she had him right where she wanted him. Eventually there _would_ be a baby, she knew. So she'd just hope it happened sooner rather than later. But she supposed he needed time to tell his tramp what he'd done. Because she assumed correctly that he'd not told Hermione about their supposed night together. But that was fine. She could wait a little. So long as he was agreeing to marry her next month. It would all work out, she thought to herself. It was a foolproof plan.

After Draco took her home, he went back to his own home and sat in the dark crying. He hadn't cried like this in a very long time. But he was losing everything that mattered to him now. Who wouldn't cry? He knew he had to see Hermione too. But he didn't know how to break the news to her. So he just bucked it up and decided to go to her place. It wasn't too late yet and he wanted this over with. Quick. Like ripping off a Band Aid. It was the only way to make it hurt less. He pulled himself together as best as he could and apparated to Hermione's flat. He knocked on the door and waited for her to open it up. When she did, she saw a broken man standing in front of her. He was in a suit, but his tie was missing in action. And his buttons were all askew and his hair was a mess. He looked like he'd been crying and she immediately got concerned and worried about him.

"Draco? What on earth is wrong? You look dreadful," she said, ushering him into her apartment.

"I'm sort of dying a little. Apparently it shows," he said dejectedly.

"Dying? Are you ill in some way? What do you mean?" she asked with concern as she sat him down on her couch.

"I'm not ill. But I just feel ill," he admitted. "Look, we have to talk."

"Talk? About what?" she wondered confusedly.

"Everything."

"What do you mean?"

"There's something I didn't tell you. And I need to tell you about it now. Only I really don't want to," he began with a start.

"What is it?" she wondered, feeling highly nervous as to where this conversation was headed.

"There was something that happened the night of the ball. And I don't remember any of it! Not even a little bit of it," he told her. "But I woke up in bed with Astoria."

Hermione just sat there for a moment, absorbing what he was saying. She didn't think she could have possibly heard him right.

"You what?" she said finally.

"I woke up in bed with her."

"You _slept_ with her?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"But I don't remember any of it!" he reiterated hoping that would make some sort of difference in her thoughts of him.

But it didn't really. She was horrified and it showed. Her face twisted up and the tears began to leak from her eyes, and she couldn't stop it.

"Is that why you won't sleep with me? Because you slept with her first?" she asked barely above a whisper.

"Yes. I didn't want to make love to you when I still felt so dirty for what I did with her. Even if I don't remember it. It's still no excuse. I did it. And I don't know why! I couldn't even begin to tell you why. I don't even like her. In fact, I kind of hate her."

"I do too. But probably for different reasons. I can't believe you did that and didn't tell me," she said with tears rolling down her face.

"I didn't know how to tell you. It was a mistake! A tragic mistake. And I never would have done it if I wasn't so drunk. The last thing I remember is _you_. I remember kissing _you_. In fact, I thought it was you next to me when I woke up. That's how far gone I must have been," he tried to explain.

"So you don't love her now or anything?" she asked sniffling slightly.

"No! Not even remotely. You're the only one I love," he said honestly, knowing that it didn't matter anymore because what he was about to tell her next would change it all. But he still had to say it one last time at least.

"So if you don't love her or anything, then we'll get past it. It was a drunken mistake. We've all had those, right? We'll get past it," she said, taking his hands and holding them tightly.

He just looked at her sadly and wished he didn't have to break her heart like this. But he had no choice.

"We can't get past it, Hermione. It's bigger than just a one night mistake," he said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"She's pregnant."

Hermione felt her stomach drop to her knees and she really thought she might be sick. She clamped her hand over her mouth and tried to choke down the sobs that were forming in her throat.

"She's what?"

"She's pregnant."

"Oh my God…"

And with that, Hermione lost it completely. She started crying so hard her whole body shook. Draco tried to take her in his arms, but she just brushed him off. She didn't want him touching her right now. Or maybe ever again. She was so betrayed, she didn't know what to even say to him. And he felt so horrible and broken at seeing her cry like that, he started crying again too. And he couldn't stop. They both just sat there crying together, except they were very alone. Both of them were alone with this. Finally Draco spoke.

"I never meant for this to happen. I don't even remember it happening. I would never do this to you in my right mind. I can't even believe I did it at all."

"Are you sure she's really pregnant?" Hermione finally got the courage to ask.

"Yes. She offered to show me the test."

"Did you see it?"

"No."

"Then maybe it's a lie?" Hermione offered up, trying to find some sort of hope in this mess.

"Who would lie about something like that?" he wondered.

" She would, because she wants you," she told him.

"I'm pretty sure it's not a lie. She told me I had to marry her. Fast. Before her daddy finds out what I did. I-I can't have him find out. He's not someone you want to mess with. He makes my father look like a basket of kittens in comparison."

"So then you're just gonna marry her? Just like that? What about us?" she asked through her tears.

"I don't know about us, Hermione. I don't think there can be an us," he whispered softly.

"So then you're choosing her over me?" she wanted to know.

"Don't you understand? I have to do this. If I don't, her father will kill me. Literally. He's not afraid to go to Azkaban because he's already been there before," he said desperately, tears rolling down his face.

"So it's over then? That's what you're saying? We're over?" she wanted clarification.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione. I don't want it to be over, but I don't know what else to do," he said miserably.

"You can leave now. That's what you can do," she said angrily.

"I don't want to leave," he cried sadly.

"Well I want you to leave. I-I can't look at you right now. I'm too upset. I need to be alone. You have to go," she said effectively shutting him down.

He stood up from the couch and walked slowly towards the door.

"I still love you," he said softly.

"I still love you too," she responded just as softly.

"Are you still my Scully?" he asked with a glimmer of hope in his voice.

"Always," she answered. But then she looked up at him again. "But you still have to go."

And with that he just turned around and walked out the door. He didn't want to overstay his welcome any more than he already had. He just didn't want to lose her. But he _had_ to lose her. There was no getting around it. He just wished it didn't feel like he was having his intestines ripped out with a fork. Nothing had ever hurt this badly, because nothing ever meant anything to him the way she did. But it was all over now. He couldn't have his cake and eat it too. If he was lucky he might leave this mess with her friendship, but he wasn't banking on it. Why would she want to be his friend? But he kept hoping that maybe she would. It was the only thing he could cling to. But he knew it was going to take some time. He'd just be patient and let her grieve in peace. He needed to be alone too honestly. He had to think about his life and his options and what he could do to keep Hermione in his life somewhat. That is if she would ever consent to be in his life, outside of work. Which work was going to be painfully awkward now. He knew that. Maybe he'd just quit? Except if he did that, he'd never see Hermione again, he'd wager. So he had to stick it out. Even if it was painful to do so. As he was getting ready to walk away from her door, he heard her sobs start up and it wrenched his guts again. He'd done this to her. She'd never forgive him. And worse yet, he'd never forgive himself either.

When Monday came, Draco was so nervous to see Hermione he was literally shaking as he walked in the door of their office. He wasn't even sure she'd be there, but she was. She was sitting at her desk but she didn't look up when he entered. She was staring at a case file, but it was evident that she wasn't really reading it.

"Good morning," he said softly as he put his things down.

"Good morning," she said back just as softly.

"I-I brought you a fancy coffee from the shop down the road. It's a latte. It's much better than the shit you can get here," he said, placing a coffee cup on her desk.

"You really didn't have to, but thanks," she said, pushing it aside and staring back at the case file.

"Would it help if I said I was sorry again?" he wondered shakily.

"Not really," she shook her head. Then she finally looked at him. He was a mess with his eyes bloodshot and his hair bedraggled. It didn't appear that he bothered to shave that morning either. And his hands were shaking almost violently. She became concerned. "Draco are you ill?"

"No. I'm just sick at what I've done," he admitted trying to keep his hands still.

She went over to him and took his shaking hands. She held them in her own and she closed her eyes.

"I don't want you to make yourself sick over this," she whispered to him.

"How can I not? Look what I've done? I've ruined everything. And the worst thing is, I don't even remember doing it!" he said somewhat angrily. Not at her, but at himself.

And she knew that. He was killing himself over hurting her and she didn't know what to say. Other than she didn't want him to do that. She wanted him to live his life the best he could. Even if that was without her.

"You've got to stop beating yourself up. I care too much to see you like this," she admitted, as she let go of his hands and sat on the edge of his desk.

"Do you forgive me then?" he wondered through his bleary eyes.

"I will. Someday, I will. I'm not there yet. But I will be," she said quietly, playing with the picture of Mulder and Scully he had on his desk.

It seemed a lifetime ago when they were using them to hint about how they felt. But it was not that long at all. Back then things still had hope and promise and now all of that was gone. But Hermione couldn't hate him. She wanted to, but she couldn't. It wasn't his fault this mess he was in. Not really anyway. Obviously Astoria had taken advantage of him in his drunken state. And he was just out of his mind. That's what she kept telling herself. People made drunken mistakes. It was just incredibly unfortunate that there was a baby coming as a result.

"You really think you'll forgive me someday?" he asked hopefully.

"I think there's a chance, yes. I-I don't want to lose your friendship. But I also know we're so much more than friends, but we can't go down that road again. Not now. Not with the baby and the wedding. But in time, maybe we could be friendly again. I just need time, Draco."

"I'll give you all the time you need. I won't bother you. It means so much that you'd even consider being my friend after what I did," he said wanting to grovel at her feet just for a scrap of her attention.

They were silent for a time and she moved off his desk and put the picture down. She sat at her own desk and just stared into space. He did the same. It was obvious that not a lot of work was going to get done today. She finally spoke.

"So when's the wedding?" she wanted to know.

"Next month. The twenty fourth," he said looking away from her.

"Wow. A date and everything. Already? I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Of course she wants to get moving quickly. She doesn't want to tell anyone her secret," she said shaking her head.

"I know you don't want anything to do with this, but you're invited to come. Not that you would. But I-I don't have a lot of people to invite and it would mean something if I had your support," he said, realizing he was asking way too much of her.

She just looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"How could you ask me to go? I-I don't want to see you marry someone else. That's the last thing in the world I want," she was taken aback and grief stricken over the thought.

"I'm sorry. It was a stupid thing to ask. I knew you'd say no."

"Why would you want me there in the first place?"

"Because I still need you, Hermione. You're my best friend," he said honestly.

"Best friend? We're back to that now?" she sighed unhappily.

"We never stopped being best friends. It's just there was a lot more to it. But you were always the best friend I ever had."

"I still can't believe you'd want me at the wedding. Don't you know how painful that would be for me?" she asked him pointedly.

"Forget I asked. It was a dumb idea. I'm very sorry," he apologized again.

She just sat and thought about what he was saying and asking of her. Part of her did want to go because she did want him to know he wasn't alone in this world. But the rest of her wanted to run screaming from the entire affair and pretend it wasn't happening. She just couldn't believe this mess her life had become. She was walking on clouds before because she'd finally found the love of her life. And now none of it mattered because he was marrying someone else and had gotten her pregnant. It didn't seem like reality. It felt like a soap opera. But she just bit back her tears and told herself she wouldn't cry anymore over Draco. He made this bed, and now he had to lie in it. But the worst part was even if she wanted him to suffer, it meant she suffered too. She got no enjoyment or vindication from knowing his life was in ruins. Because if his life was in ruins, so was hers. She just wished she had a time machine so she could go back to the night of the party and stop Draco from making the worst mistake of his life. But she had no more time turners and no way to do it, so it was all set down. He was getting married, and she wasn't going to have any part of that. She didn't care if it might make him feel better to have her there. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. In fact, she was having a tough time bringing herself to be in his presence at all. She wanted to fling herself into his arms and kiss him until they couldn't breathe. But there would be no more of that for them. Not now, and not ever. They were over before they even had a chance to begin. Doomed from the start. All because of his stupid family and his station in life. She'd never forgive them for putting him into this awkward position to begin with. But someday maybe she'd forgive Draco for his part. He was just a lost man. She knew that. He didn't know how to stand on his own. And for that, she was sad. Because if he'd done so from the start, they'd still be together now. But it was done. And there was no going back. She just wanted to move forward.

 **To be continued…. Thanks for all the reviews! I love them. So keep them coming! It helps me write even faster….**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters here. I just use them for my own amusement. JK Rowling and co. own them No copyright infringement intended.

 **Summary:** When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.

 **Author's note:** Lyrics by The Goo Goo Dolls

 **Wildest Dreams**

 _And I wasn't all the things  
I tried to make believe I was  
And I wouldn't be the one to kneel  
Before the dreams I wanted  
And all the talk and all the lies  
Were all the empty things disguised as me_

Draco was still numb with shock about this whole ordeal. And part of him kept thinking it couldn't be real. And he decided to ask Astoria to see the pregnancy test after all. She had seemed flustered when he mentioned it, but she nodded and said she'd bring it to him. Along with further proof that she was in fact pregnant. But she put on a wounded act and said she couldn't believe he'd doubt her. She really laid it on so thick, he almost didn't ask for the proof, but he had to be sure, so he didn't waver. If she couldn't produce proof, he'd escort her to the healers himself and make sure there really was a baby. But before he could insist upon that, she had shown up the next day with a positive pregnancy test and a sonogram photo with her name on it and a date stamp.

"I trust this proves I'm telling the truth," she said haughtily, as she thrust the items in his direction.

"What's this?" he asked over the sonogram photo.

"That's a Muggle sonogram. I figured you needed to actually see the baby to believe it. So I went to a Muggle doctor and got a picture. And a picture is worth a thousand words, right? Look at our little bean! It's so cute," she said pointing the obvious little fetus on the piece of paper.

"You had this done yesterday?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes. After you were accusing me of lying, I got an appointment with a doctor," she lied to him.

The truth of the matter was, she had gone to Knockturn Alley and procured the pregnancy test and the photo from someone who dealt with things like that. They could get their hands on anything if you paid them enough cash. And it turns out there was a Muggle service that provided fake pregnancy tests and sonograms just to trick men into getting married. It was a big business out in Muggle land as well as in the Wizarding World. But to be safe, she did pay a healer off to say she was pregnant if Draco was stubborn enough to insist they see one. It wasn't that hard. Her daddy's money stretched out far and all she had to do was offer up the cash. The healer said he'd tell Draco whatever she wanted him to hear. So she wasn't worried in the slightest. Her plan was not going to be ruined. She was going to get married no matter what.

Draco just look at the photo with her name on it and it appeared legitimate. He didn't know much about Muggle sonograms, but he could clearly see a baby forming. And then the positive test he held was further proof. He just put the items down and shook his head.

"Alright. I guess I believe you. It just doesn't seem real to me," he admitted to her.

"Well it is real. Do you want to go to my appointment with my healer tomorrow?" she offered him, knowing that the bribe had her covered.

"Yes, I do."

"Good, I'm glad. I want you to be involved in this pregnancy. You'll be happy soon enough. Doesn't it make you a little bit happy already, just seeing the baby?" she asked hopefully.

"No. Astoria nothing about this is happy to me," he said honestly, feeling even more miserable than before when he thought there might be some chance it was all a lie.

"You're rude. This is the happiest time of our lives, and you're treating me and the baby like an inconvenience," she said angrily.

"Look do you want to know why I'm so unhappy? I don't love you. I love someone else. I want to _marry_ someone else. Don't you get it? You're not the one. _She's_ the one. You're just there. In my way. So no, I'm not fucking happy and I won't pretend to be when we're in private. Because I want nothing to do with you. So I hope this marriage is really worth it to you, because I don't plan to ever fall in love with you. So get it through your head that this is a marriage of _necessity_. Nothing more. So stop trying to force me to be happy," he said heatedly.

"Well I never… Draco how could you say such things to me? I'm carrying your child! And you'd dare tell me you love someone else? That's ridiculous. And hurtful. I never knew you'd be so mean," she said conjuring up some fake tears to make it look like she was honestly hurt.

"She's fifty time the person you'll ever be."

"I doubt that sincerely. Who is she huh? That mudblood you work for? Any fool could see how you tripped over yourself to be in her presence at the charity ball. You embarrassed me and yourself with it," she shot back, fake tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Don't you dare ever call her that again! And yes, she's the one I actually love. I don't much care if you were embarrassed by my obvious affection for her. I'm not embarrassed. I want the world to know. Except I can't now because of you and this blasted baby. Don't you see that you've ruined my life?" he asked desperately.

"I didn't mean to make you feel that way. But you'll see that it'll be great eventually. You'll come to love me, whether you believe it or not. And we'll have a happy family. Just you wait and see. The wedding will be soon enough and then you'll change your tune," she said assuredly.

"Keep dreaming. I have somewhere to be, so show yourself out," he told her, effectively putting an end to their conversation.

Why would a woman even want to marry a man who despised her? It made little sense to him. Except she was actually pregnant. The marriage was a necessary step into him not getting killed. Maybe she was just trying to look on the bright side? Except to him there was no bright side. The only bright side was that he wasn't dead. But he may wish he was after this marriage. He just sat and looked at the test and the photo of the baby and shook his head. A proud father might display this picture at work and show his friends, except he didn't have any friends, and wasn't about to show off the picture of his love child with some other girl to Hermione at work. No, he wanted to forget he'd even seen the picture. He just opened a drawer and dropped the test and the photo into it and slammed it shut.

The weeks went by and Hermione was cordial to Draco at work, but that was it. She didn't want to hurt him more than he was already hurting, but at the same time, she was also hurting. She didn't know how to handle it. And neither did he. It was now only one week until his wedding and they sat in their office and both did solitary work quietly. Draco was miserable though. Everything was out of his hands now and Astoria and their families were busily planning this shotgun wedding and he had no part of it. He didn't want a part of it. They were questioned why they wanted to rush things so much and Astoria just told her family that they were so much in love they didn't want to wait. They bought that. And were suitably thrilled that they'd made such a love connection. Draco was sickened by it, but Astoria kept talking to him about the baby and trying to get him excited about it. Especially after they'd gone to her healer and he'd confirmed the supposed happy news. But he honestly didn't care. Which was an awful thing for him to feel because he always imagined that someday when he was to be a father, he'd be thrilled by it. But he hated the mother of his child so much, he couldn't feel anything for this baby he hadn't met yet. She kept referring to it as a 'he' but that didn't make Draco any happier. She was just guessing it was a boy anyway. Not that it really mattered one way or the other to him. He just hoped that maybe one day he'd learn to love the child after it was born. But he was just so despondent, he didn't feel much of anything these days.

It was a small favor that Hermione didn't treat him like garbage. Most of the time she just sighed a lot and gave him pitying glances. Which he'd in turn give her a pitying glance right back. Neither one of them had anything to be happy about. He was startled when she actually spoke to him just now.

"Are you ready for the wedding?" she asked, jolting him out of his reverie.

"Huh? Oh, I guess. I don't really know. I'm just planning to show up and say my lines," he shrugged. "Have you given any more thought to possibly attending this affair?" he asked quietly.

"I have given it some thought. I'm not really sure what I want to do. But I don't think I should be there," she answered somewhat uncomfortably.

The truth was, part of her did want to go. She had some morbid curiosity about it. But most of her thought it was a terrible idea. She'd feel like an interloper and she didn't really want to watch him throw away his life with a woman he didn't love. But on the other hand, Draco really looked miserable, and she wanted to somehow show him that she still cared what happened to him. Because she did still care. She just didn't know what to do with her feelings anymore.

"It's okay if you don't come. I wouldn't either except I'm being forced to be there," he said somewhat wryly.

"Yeah, if you could skip it, that would be great, right?" she said trying to be slightly lighthearted.

"If only."

"Yes, if only."

And they both just looked at each other wistfully for a moment, before the silence settled over them again and they both went back to work.

Later on that evening, Hermione was feeling blue and she decided to call up Harry and talk to him, while eating a pint of ice cream on her couch. They both had mobile phones that they used solely to talk to each other. It was for emergencies usually, but this felt like an emergency. And she didn't feel like leaving her flat to see him. She just wanted an ear to listen to her. So she rang him up and he answered quickly.

"Hermione? Is everything okay?" he asked with concern as she hardly ever called him.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Sort of. I just wanted to talk. Are you free?" she asked in a tired voice.

"Of course I'm free. What's up?"

"I'm eating ice cream out of the carton. That's what's up," she sighed.

"One of those days?" he asked.

"It's been one of those lives, " she grumbled.

"I'm still really sorry about Draco. But you know you deserve better than that," he said, knowing all about the scandal and the upcoming nuptials.

"I still love him, Harry. That's the part that sucks. I know I deserve better, but I still want him," she said unhappily.

"Well you can't have him. Not anymore. So you need to face that, Hermione," he said seriously.

"I don't wanna."

"I know you don't wanna but it's all you can do."

"I'm considering going to the wedding," she tossed out as she licked her ice cream spoon.

"What? Why? You don't have to do that. The guy basically cheated on you and got someone else pregnant. Why would you want to watch them get married?" he asked in disbelief.

"I don't know. I'm a glutton for punishment?"

"Well don't be. You know it'll only hurt you to go there. I wouldn't watch Ginny marry another man if it were me," he offered his advice.

"I know. I know it's stupid to wanna go, except I feel bad for him. Maybe if he sees that I can put aside my hurt feelings and be a friend to him, that we'll start being friends again? It's all so weird right now. I want things to be like they were before," she pouted.

"But it can't really be like before, can it?"

"Probably not. But this is hard for me. I don't know what to do."

"I think you should just cut your losses and move on. I know you love him, but he's lost to you now. It's time to move on," he urged her.

"But where do I go? I don't know where to move on to," she said sadly with a single tear rolling down her face.

"I know it's hard, but it'll get easier. I promise you. It won't hurt like this forever," he swore to her.

"I still might go to the wedding. Maybe it'll be some sort of closure for me?" she said softly.

"If you go, I can go with you. You shouldn't go alone," he said quietly.

"That's lovely of you, Harry, but I need to do it for myself I think. But I'll keep you in mind."

"Alright. Because even if it's the last thing I'd like to do, I'd do it for you."

"I know. You're the best. I guess I'll let you go now. Thanks for listening to me mope," she said managing a small smile.

"Anytime. And I mean it. I know we don't see enough of each other these days, but I do have this phone. Call me anytime you need me. Promise me you'll do that okay?" he prodded her.

"I promise. I'll talk to you later," she said.

"Goodnight. I love you, Hermione."

"I love you too, Harry."

And with that she pushed the little button and ended the call. She sighed loudly and put her ice cream down. Why would she want to subject herself to a wedding like this? But she _was_ sort of a glutton for punishment. And part of her also thought maybe if Draco saw her sitting there, he couldn't go through with it. But that was probably a dream. He _had_ to go through with it. She was pregnant. And that fact disgusted her so much. Why couldn't Draco have just kept it in his pants? She supposed that maybe it was her fault in some way. She'd worked him up and then in his drunken state, he was more susceptible to Astoria's advances. She wasn't sure. It seemed like Draco had better self-control than that, but he was really very drunk. And people make huge mistakes when they're drunk. Now they both had to live the rest of their lives with this mistake. It didn't seem fair.

Draco was getting the final fitting for his tux and the wedding was now only two days away. He stood in the shop with his father looming over him and his mother was in the corner in a chair watching everything go down.

"This is going to be a lovely wedding," his mum said happily, watching her only son get prepped for his big day.

"It's going to be a grand affair, even if you two lovebirds didn't give us much notice to plan this thing," Lucius said, giving Draco a look.

"I'm sorry we didn't give enough notice, but we're just really anxious," he lied.

"She's such a lovely girl. So proper and she seems to hang on your every word. I always knew you'd love her, if you just gave it a chance," Narcissa said.

"Mum, I don't want to talk about it really. Can't we just get this stupid tux fitted so I can go home?" he said miserably, unable to hide his true emotions.

But his mother didn't pick up on it, or chose to ignore it. One or the other.

"Remember when you came to me and said you loved that Hermione person? Dear God, I had no idea what to think! Thankfully you got that out of your system," his mum said, clutching her chest as if it gave her heart palpitations just knowing about it.

"Yes, when your mother told me about you coming to see her, I almost fainted. At least you understand now what a real woman is like," Lucius smiled at his son.

Draco just stood there and wished he could tell his parents the truth. That Astoria was knocked up and that was the only reason they were marrying. He still loved Hermione. And always would. But he couldn't tell them that. Even if he did tell them the truth, it wouldn't make a lick of difference. He'd still have to get married.

"Draco, why do you look so glum? This is the happiest moment of your life and you look like someone died," Narcissa scolded him.

"Mum, I'm just not feeling that well. I'm tired from work. And I want to go home and get some rest," he lied.

"Well you better be more cheerful this Saturday. We don't want you to look tired and put out in the wedding photos. I cannot wait to see the front page of the paper! You and Astoria will make a lovely splash as husband and wife. All our friends will be there. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!" his mother said excitedly.

"Yes, do try and look less like your pet dog just died. Honestly Draco, I don't understand you sometimes," Lucius sighed.

"Neither one of you ever tried to understand me. Can't you tell that I don't want to do this?" he said, being honest for a change. Why not? He had nothing to lose or to gain. "I don't love Astoria. She's the one who wanted to speed up the wedding. Not me. I'm just along for the ride."

"What? I thought you two said you were head over heels for each other," his mother said with shock.

"She might be, but I'm not. And sorry to burst your bubble, but I do still love Hermione. I'm always going to love her. And none of you can stop me from loving her," Draco said boldly.

His mother just gasped in horror but his father gave Draco a knowing look.

"Cissy, give us a minute, will you? I need to speak to my son, man to man," he brushed his wife aside, and she quickly vacated the room. Lucius turned back to Draco. "Listen to me boy, you are getting married and that means forever. And I realize that feels like a long time. Especially if you love someone else. But marriages aren't about love. Not at first. No, you grow fond of your partner over time. It's a much more lasting thing than whatever it is you feel for this Granger girl. Which is undoubtedly just lust and not love. But I will tell you this, if you have an affair, if you keep a mistress, just be very discreet. Understand me? Discretion is the key."

Draco just stared at him and didn't know what to say. His father was giving him tips on how to conceal a mistress? Was he hearing this correctly.

"Father are you saying you don't care if I keep a mistress?" he asked with confusion.

Lucius waved his hand in the air.

"I'm not suggesting you do it, but if you are to do it, be careful. No one can ever know. Especially not that she's a mudblood. Our family name would be in ruins. Just be discreet and get it out of your system. You think you're the first one to marry someone they didn't love?"

"Do you have a mistress?" Draco shot back at his dad in disbelief.

"No! I do not. And never have. I love your mother. And I have always loved her. But not all of my friends can say the same. Most of them either did have or do have mistresses. And sometimes it's very scandalous because they're Muggles or other men's wives. But you don't hear about it because they're discreet. I can keep your secret, and your mother will as well. Just don't tarnish our name. And do not let your wife find out," Lucius said heatedly.

"I can't even fucking believe this. You're not even upset that I want to be with someone else? You're just telling me to hide it good? What kind of life do you want me to have? Living in secret, sneaking around. I respect Hermione way too much to ask her to be my mistress," Draco said shaking his head.

"Well it was just a thought. You said you loved her. Which is preposterous enough in itself. But I thought I was giving you good advice," his father said with a slight shrug.

"Your world is nothing like the world I want to live in. I just want to pick my own wife, whom I love, and get married and have a family that I chose to have! I don't want a dirty secret or a mistress. I don't want a wife who I don't love or respect. And you're dooming me to a life I don't want. Why can't you just let me be happy?" Draco complained.

"Because happiness is earned. And if you put in your time with Astoria, you'll grow to love her and be happy with her. Trust me. And all the money we'll have once this is said and done? Boy, you won't even need to work. You'll likely become Astoria's father's right hand man. None of this being an assistant at the Ministry garbage," Lucius told him.

"What do you mean? You mean you're going to have me quit my job too?" he asked with some slight horror. He couldn't quit the job. It was the only way he could see Hermione. That couldn't happen.

"Of course you'll quit that job. Mr. Greengrass and I have already spoken at length about you joining his empire. It's all set down. You'll never worry for money again," Lucius beamed.

"It's all set down huh? What about what I want? Does anyone give a fuck about that? I don't want to have my life 'set down'. Without my input even! I don't want to quit my job. And that's final," Draco said peeling off the tux jacket and throwing it to the floor.

"You're acting like a petulant child. That doesn't work for me anymore. You will quit the job and you will join the Greengrass empire. And you will get married. Whether you like it or not, this is your life!" Lucius bellowed at him.

"Don't tell me what to do! I've listened to you over and over and done everything you asked of me, but this is too much. I draw the line at quitting my job. I _earned_ that job. I want something that I earned. All on my own. I don't want empires being handed to me," Draco said angrily.

"You don't get a choice. And who would ever balk at having an empire dropped in the lap. You _have_ earned it! You're marrying Astoria. Don't you think that you should be rewarded handsomely for that endeavor? Especially since you don't even love her? The money should ease your pain quite a lot," Lucius said surely.

"You think the money makes up for everything? It doesn't. I'd rather be poor," Draco said desperately.

"Well you'll never have to be poor now. Just pick up your jacket and pick up your chin and get on with it," Lucius said as he left the room and left Draco standing there seething.

How could they pile this on top of everything else? Making him quit his job? That was not in the agreement! No one told him he'd lose his only lifeline to Hermione. He was banking on seeing her every day and now they were telling him he'd be working with Astoria's father forever? When would this hell end? Draco just sat down on the floor of the tux shop and stared into the mirror. He didn't know this person staring back at him. How did his life become so out of his control? Was there anything left that was his? It didn't seem so. He just wanted to run away. Hide forever. Change his name. Pretend to be a Muggle and work in some convenience store somewhere pretending to be Joe Normal. He didn't want this life anymore. Only he didn't know how to be strong enough to get out of it. There was no way out. Not with the baby. If he left a pregnant woman alone he'd be the worst kind of man. And he wanted to be a good man. All his life he was considered a bad man. And now he wanted to be good. But the only way to be good was to lose everything he held dear. He didn't know how he was going to survive this, but he was going to have to try.

 **To be continued…. Thanks for all the reviews! I love them. So keep them coming! It helps me write even faster….**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters here. I just use them for my own amusement. JK Rowling and co. own them No copyright infringement intended.

 **Summary:** When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.

 **Author's note:** Lyrics by Kelly Clarkson

 **Wildest Dreams**

 _'Cause we belong together now, yeah  
Forever united here somehow, yeah  
You got a piece of me  
And honestly  
My life would suck without you_

The day of the wedding had arrived and Hermione still didn't know if she was going or not. Draco hadn't asked her again, and when he said goodbye last night, it almost felt like he was saying goodbye forever. She didn't like the way it felt so final. And he was going to be gone for a week on his honeymoon after that. She'd be without him for far too long. She didn't even know where he was going. She didn't ask. He just put in for the time off and she'd signed off on it wordlessly. She thought about being a bitch and not letting him go, but then she worried he'd just quit or something. Which was something she did not want happening. He may be getting married, but she still couldn't lose the opportunity to see him every day. Even if they barely talked now. It was still a comfort to see his face. But now she sat in her room lying on the bed wondering what she should do. She wanted to see him, but she also did not want to see _her_. She was warring with herself and finally decided she'd just go. And if she chickened out, she could always leave immediately.

She got herself dressed and knew it was slightly early for the wedding, but she figured other guests would already be there. So she apparated to Draco's family home and landed outside the gates. She could see people mingling around and she wasn't the only one to have arrived early. There was a big tent set up where she assumed the wedding would take place. And people were gathered in various spots on the lawn outside the tent and nearer to the house. She hadn't been to this place since she was tortured there by Bellatrix. It held no fond memories, that's for sure. But she'd never really seen it in the daylight. It was quite beautiful, even if the manor itself looked rather creepy and foreboding to her. She prepared herself by taking a deep breath and entering the gate. There was a very large man dressed in a tuxedo standing there and he was checking invitations. She was lucky that Draco had given her one, despite her protests that she didn't want to go, so she whipped it out of her purse and showed it to him. He scanned it momentarily then directed her inside the grounds.

"You'll find champagne and other drinks to the left of the tent. You're a little early, but do feel free to find a seat now if you want a good look. We're expecting a large crowd today," he said pleasantly.

Hermione just nodded and took her invitation back and shoved it in her purse. She walked off to where the drinks were being served and decided to order a vodka cranberry while she waited. This was probably the stupidest thing she'd ever done, by coming here. But she couldn't squash her feelings of wanting to see him one last time as a free man. Not that she thought it would make a difference, but in her fevered fantasies she'd run down the aisle and claim her man when the preacher asked if anyone objected to the union. But she knew she'd never do such a thing in real life. She'd never do that to Draco. But she wanted to. Instead she decided to wander the estate away from the other guests. She found herself up by the manor and she kept peeking in the various windows to see if maybe Draco was in there somewhere that she could see. But she figured his room was probably on the upstairs level and not the ground floor. But that didn't stop her from being nosy. She came to a window in the back of the house and noted it was open. She could hear laughter and voices coming from inside and she stopped to try and listen. She wasn't sure who was talking at first but she crept closer to the window and crouched down below it. She was eavesdropping just to see what people at the wedding were talking about. Then she heard Astoria's voice.

"If you see Draco, do not tell him I'm drinking this champagne!" she laughed heartily.

"Why not?" another female person asked.

"He doesn't think I drink. Plus, he thinks I'm with child," Astoria laughed.

"What?"

"You heard me. He thinks I'm pregnant. He'd be very cross if he saw me drinking this," Astoria giggled.

"Why does he think you're pregnant? I thought you were a virgin!" the other voice said with shock.

"I _am_ a virgin, silly. But he thinks we slept together. It was the only way he'd agree to this marriage. He's thick headed. He thinks he's in love with some mudblood. But I put a right end to that. After all, he promised my daddy and me that he'd marry me. I just cemented that in stone. He was going to try and back out," Astoria told her friend.

"Oh my God, you're horrible, Astoria!" the friend laughed. "But I would have done it too. I mean, Draco Malfoy is a dish. And a very good catch. I'm jealous honestly."

Hermione just stood there crouched down and couldn't believe her ears. The whole thing was a lie? Draco said she'd shown him proof. What was that all about? Could this be true? She wasn't pregnant? And they never slept together at all? Her heart was racing and she felt like she was going to pass out. This was too good to be true. She'd overheard the lying little wench with her own ears! She had to tell Draco. He had to know this. This changed everything. She ran from the window and desperately looked for the front door. She had to get inside and talk to him. It was a matter of life and death. She found the door and knocked on it frantically. Soon Draco's mother answered it as she yelled to the back of the house that her house elves were useless making her open her own front door on her son's wedding day. But then she turned and looked to see who was standing there and she seemed aghast.

"Ms. Granger. What are you doing here?" she asked distastefully.

"I-I need to see Draco. Right now! It's very important," she said unable to contain herself.

"Yes, well, he's upstairs getting ready for his wedding. In case you didn't notice, he's marrying today. He doesn't have time to see you," Narcissa put her off.

"You don't understand. I _have_ to talk to him. It's about work! It's incredibly time sensitive. I have to see him," she pleaded with her.

"Listen, don't think I don't know why you're here. I'm well aware that you and my son had some sort of dalliance going on. But it's over now. He's marrying Astoria. And there's nothing you could say to him that would change that," Narcissa said in a clipped tone. "Now do please leave. You're not welcome here."

And with that, she slammed the door in Hermione's face and left her reeling. What was she going to do? She _had_ to talk to him. She could not let him go through with this wedding. But short of scaling the entire building, she had no idea how to get to him before this horrible show started. Then she got a really crazy idea. A completely crazy one. But it was better than her running up the aisle during the ceremony. She reached into her purse and pulled out her mobile phone. She noted that she had zero reception and cursed under her breath. There was too much magic around this house. Too many security charms and God only knew what else. Plus they were way out in the country. But she _had_ to get some reception. So she ran across the yard and kept holding the phone up in the air, hoping that if she got far enough away from the house itself, she'd get some bars on the phone. She got so desperate she climbed up a small tree and held the phone up in the air.

"Aha! Bars! Oh God, please let Harry answer," she said to herself as she sat in a tree in Draco's yard. She must have looked like a raging lunatic to the people passing by her, but she didn't care. People were pointing and whispering about the crazy girl in the tree, but she just dialed Harry's number.

"Hermione? Are you alright?" Harry asked as he answered the phone.

"No, I'm not alright. Listen, I need your help!" she cried into the phone.

"Are you at the wedding? If so, I told you it was going to be too painful," he said to her quietly.

"I know. Look, I _am_ at the wedding, but it's not started yet. I still have time. I need to speak to Draco, but his mum won't let me in. She slammed the door in my face! But I have to speak to him. I don't have time to explain, but I found some stuff out that he needs to know. You have to help me get to him," she said desperately.

"How am I supposed to help? And what did you find out?"

"I'll tell you all about it when I can. But I need you to get Draco out of that house. Then bring him to me so I can talk to him."

"How the hell am I supposed to get him out of the house? His mum will just slam the door in my face too. Plus I don't have an invitation so I probably can't even get in," he noted, assuming a wedding like that would have security posted. And he was right.

"They'll have to let you in if you're here on official Auror business. Won't they? If you tell them you're here for business you don't need an invite. And his mother can't turn you away," she rattled on feverishly.

"Official Auror business? You want me to pretend to be on a mission and then just run past them into the house?" he asked with confusion.

"No, I want you to arrest Draco. I don't care if you have to handcuff him in front of his parents. Just fucking make it look good and get him out of the house!" she said frantically.

"Arrest him? For what?"

"I don't know. Make something up! And make sure you look very official when you show up. I want them to believe this. They _have_ to believe this. Draco can't get married until I talk to him. And then I'm hoping he won't get married at all," she said quickly.

"Will you at least tell me what you learned that will change anything?"

"I can't! There's not enough time. Just please get here and do what I asked. Please?"

"I can't believe I'm doing this. I could get in real trouble for pretending to arrest an innocent man!"

"No one's gonna say anything. Trust me. I just need this favor. Please? I'm sitting in a fucking tree and you're starting to break up. Just tell me you'll be here," she said hurriedly.

"I'll be there. Give me a few minutes okay?"

And with that, she hung up the phone and crawled out of the tree and smoothed her dress down. People gave her odd looks and she just smiled at them and went over to the bar again and grabbed another drink. She wasn't drinking it though. She was just trying to blend in. But she decided to head over towards the gates and wait for Harry to show up. She prayed he wouldn't take long. Thank God for magical apparition. Otherwise she'd be screwed. And thank God for trees that garnered you cell phone reception when you got desperate. About ten minutes later, she saw Harry arrive at the gates. He was dressed in his robes and had his badge out. She saw him show it to the gatekeeper and he was let through quickly. She knew that would work! She went running over to him and hugged him tightly.

"Oh thank God you're here! Now please go make this look good okay? Just capture Draco and bring him to me. I'll be waiting out behind the house where no one can see me. If his parents see me, they might get suspicious."

"You still haven't told me why I'm doing this," he noted.

"Because Astoria is a lying bitch. I overheard her telling her friends that she made up the entire pregnancy. They never even slept together! She lied! So go bring me Draco. Please?"

Harry just stood there a second and absorbed what she was saying. Then he nodded his head.

"Okay. I'll bring him to you. But if I get in trouble for this, I'm never forgiving you," he sighed as he trudged up to the house and watched Hermione disappear into some bushes in the back.

He knocked on the door and waited patiently for someone to answer. Again Narcissa came to the door and looked frazzled that people kept pounding on the door. When she saw who it was she was startled.

"Harry Potter? What on earth are you doing here?" she asked with exasperation.

"I'm afraid I'm here on business. Official Ministry business. I'm here to collect Draco Malfoy. He's been accused of magical misconduct and I have to bring him in," Harry lied convincingly.

"What? Magical misconduct? There must be some mistake. It's his wedding day! Can't you take this up with him after the ceremony?" she pleaded with him.

"No, I'm afraid not. We have reason to believe he'll flee if I don't catch him off guard. I'm sorry to ruin the wedding, but I really must see him now. Is he upstairs?" Harry pushed past Narcissa and entered the house.

"What is happening here?" Lucius asked as he rushed into the room.

"Draco is being arrested!" Narcissa cried unhappily.

"For what?" Lucius looked at Harry with a deadly glance.

"I'm afraid he's been accused of magical misconduct. He has to come with me," Harry said not giving anything away.

"Who accused him?" Lucius wanted to know.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that. Now if you'll just show me to him, we can make this a quiet matter. Or we can fight. I'd prefer not to have to fight though," Harry told them.

"He's upstairs in his room. I'll show you the way," Lucius relented not wanting to make a scene. But he figured there had to be some mistake. His Draco would never do something illegal. Not anymore. Not now that he'd gotten his life together and Voldemort wasn't calling the shots. But perhaps Lucius had misjudged his son? Lucius was no stranger to Azkaban himself. He just hoped his son never had to go there. He'd try and buy his way out of whatever this was soon enough. He couldn't have his son in prison.

Harry just followed Lucius and kept shaking his head wondering why he got himself into this mess. But he loved Hermione and had to do something for her, if it would help. They came to Draco's door and Lucius knocked.

"Draco? Are you in there? Open up," Lucius said to his son.

Draco heard his father calling him, but he didn't feel like answering. He just stood in front of the mirror in his tux and tried to remember to keep breathing. He was so nervous and upset he couldn't even see straight. But when the knocking persisted he couldn't help but take notice of it. Especially when he heard Harry's voice beyond the door. What was Harry doing here?

"Draco Malfoy? Come out quietly with your hands up," Harry said trying to be official. This is exactly what he'd do if it were real. He just hoped no one asked too many questions.

Draco didn't understand what was going on, so he didn't move. He just stood there rooted in his spot. Until Harry just opened up the door and stormed in. He was dressed in his official Ministry robes and had his wand out and a pair of handcuffs in his hands.

"What the fuck is going on, Potter?" he asked with confusion.

"You've been accused of magical misconduct, so I'm afraid I have to take you in," Harry put on a good show. "Turn around and let me see your hands."

"What? This is nonsense. I didn't do anything!" Draco said heatedly.

Harry showed him the handcuffs and told him to turn around again.

"Handcuffs? Really? I'll go quietly. You don't need to cuff me. I still don't understand what you think I did. I never did any unlawful magic!"

"I have a source who says you did. And I'm afraid the handcuffs are part of procedure," Harry said, gleaning a little bit of satisfaction at handcuffing his old school nemesis. It felt kind of nice to be slapping the cuffs on Draco. But Harry would never admit that to Hermione. She loved this guy. And he was putting his job on the line for the two of them and their future. Only Draco didn't know that yet.

He cuffed Draco up and Narcissa was crying and Lucius was holding her to him.

"Don't worry son. We'll get you out of this mess as soon as possible! You won't spend a night in Azkaban if I can help it!" Lucius bellowed giving Harry a stare down as he marched their son past them with handcuffs on.

They went down the stairs and Lucius and Narcissa followed closely. Harry had to keep the show going. But Draco was just in disbelief. His entire life was a shit heap now. First he was going to be trapped in a loveless marriage and now he was going to prison for some reason? Could he not catch a break?

"I'd like to know what I did and who said I did it. Because I can assure you that I did nothing wrong," Draco told Harry.

"Just be quiet and I'll explain everything to you soon enough. We have to get away from your parents," Harry whispered to Draco.

"What?"

"I said be quiet prisoner! No your family cannot follow us to the Ministry. They can come see you later after you've been processed," Harry said loudly so that his parents would back the hell off.

Draco was just confused as fuck and kept looking at Harry like he'd sprouted a second head.

"Right. Mum? Father? You guys just stay here. Someone has to tell Astoria and her family what's happened. I'm sure you'll get me out soon," Draco told them.

"You didn't do anything wrong. Remember that! Just keep saying that! Do not speak unless you really have to," Lucius advised his son.

Then they stepped out onto the front steps and Harry apparated them out of his parents sight and landed quickly in the back yard behind the bushes he saw Hermione hiding behind. When Draco saw that they were still in his yard when they landed, he was even more confused.

"What the hell is going on, Potter?" Draco asked with confusion.

"Don't say I never did anything for you," Harry smiled at him as he indicated a smiling Hermione standing off to the side waiting for him.

"Hermione? What are you doing here? Did you just have me arrested? Is that what we've come to? Making false accusations at me? If so, that's really low," he said feeling hurt momentarily.

"I didn't accuse you of anything, you dummy. I just had Harry _pretend_ to arrest you. I had to speak to you and your parents wouldn't let me in," she explained as quickly as she could.

"So I'm not under arrest?" he asked quizzically.

"No," she shook her head.

He looked at Harry confusedly.

"No, you're not under arrest. But it was kind of fun cuffing you up like that," Harry smirked, as he waved his wand and unlocked the cuffs. They fell to the ground and Harry looked at the two of them. "I'll just be over here while you guys talk okay?"

He then moved off towards the far part of the yard and let them have their moment. Hermione rushed up to Draco and put her arms around his neck. She hugged him tightly and he hugged her back. But he still had no idea what the hell was going on.

"Oh Draco, I've missed you so much," she said with tears in her eyes.

"Love, I've missed you too. But if you think a fake arrest is going to save me, you're wrong. I'll still have to come back another day and do this," he said sadly.

"No you won't. See that's why I had to speak to you. I overheard Astoria talking to her friends. She's not pregnant. Not even close. You never even slept with her at all. She faked all of it. None of it was true!" Hermione said gleefully.

"What? But I saw the test and the sonogram and I went to her healer with her," he said disbelieving.

"She obviously found some way to fake those things. I don't know. All I know is that she's in her little bridal room, drinking champagne and laughing over how she duped you. She's not even the slightest bit remorseful. She said she did what she had to do to get you away from me."

"Are you serious? You're sure you heard right?" he asked, finally feeling some of the weight being lifted off his shoulders but he was scared to be too happy.

"I'm dead serious. And I know I heard her right. She was laughing about it. Like it was some big joke! She's a liar and she's conniving and she's evil. You don't have to marry her," Hermione smiled at him.

It was finally sinking in to Draco and all he could do was laugh. Not because it was funny but because he was so fucking relieved he didn't know what else to do.

"I'm not getting married today? She's not pregnant? We never slept together?"

"No, no, and no. You're a free man!" she cried happily as she threw her arms around his neck again and hugged him tightly.

"God, I love you. I love you for being a nosy little thing. If not for that quality I'd never know this. I'd be stuck with her forever," he said with a smile.

"I love you too. And it's a great thing I'm nosy because it changes everything. Right?" she asked hopefully, wondering if his money and his family still mattered to him enough to go through with it.

But that was crazy. Draco nodded his head and smiled widely at her.

"It does change everything. I'm not marrying her. She can't make me. And I might be poor from now on, but I've got you, right?" he said optimistically.

"You never really lost me. I never stopped loving you," she said with tears in her eyes.

"I never stopped loving you either," he got teary himself.

Then he kissed her. He kissed her until they both lost sight of everything around them and could feel only each other's lips. It was a glorious feeling. One they both thought they'd never have again. But this time no one was going to keep them apart.

"What do you say we confront that bitch huh? Tell her we're on to her? I wanna see her face when she realizes she's been caught out," Draco said finally, after they came up for air.

"I like that plan. Do I get to watch?" she asked deviously.

"Yes, you do. After all it was your sleuthing that uncovered the truth. And with any luck we'll at least catch her red-handed drinking champagne and hurting our supposed baby."

"Let's go."

"Let me just say something to Harry first," Draco said, pausing their trip back to the manor.

He walked over to where Harry was standing and he reached out his hand for him to shake it. Harry took his hand and they shook, about thirteen years too late, Draco thought. But at least it was something.

"I can't thank you enough for arresting me today. You must love Hermione a lot to do this for her, because I know damn well you didn't do it for me," Draco laughed wryly.

"You got that right. It was a lot of fun arresting you, I must say. But don't ever make me have to do it for real," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"I won't. Thank you so much for what you did," Draco said sincerely.

"Don't mention it. Just tell Hermione I love her and I'm gonna leave now. You guys got this covered right?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, we got it covered. Draco is not getting married today. Someday, yes. But not today. And not to that shrew of a woman."

"Congratulations on your non-wedding."

"Thank you."

And with that, Harry apparated away and Draco went back over to Hermione.

"Harry sends his love. But he was ready to go home. I think he's warming up to me a little, but he enjoyed slapping those cuffs on me a little too much," Draco laughed.

"I wager he's fantasized about throwing you in jail ever since you broke my heart," she said in a small voice.

"Yeah."

"Except you really didn't break my heart. You never touched her. I knew you never would!"

"I knew I never would either, but what else was I to think?"

"She's going to be very angry today and that's gonna give me a huge happy. I can't wait to see her face," Hermione said delightedly.

They took off hand in hand across the grounds and people were staring at them and wondering why the groom was holding hands with another woman. Also some of the guests saw Draco getting arrested too. Everything was in chaos around them, but Draco and Hermione didn't really pay attention to it. They just marched up the front steps and back into the house. They were met quickly by Draco's parents who were busily talking to Astoria's parents about Draco's arrest. When they saw him walk in, they were so relived at first.

"Draco! You got away! Did you explain away this nonsense or did you escape?" Narcissa wondered worriedly.

"I didn't escape. But I did get a few things worked out. And I need to see Astoria. Now."

"You can't see her now. It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding!" Astoria's mum chimed in, relieved to see her son in law back at the house. She was worried how she'd break the news to her daughter that her fiancé had been arrested.

"There's not going to be any wedding, I'm afraid," Draco said to everyone.

Just then, Lucius and Narcissa noticed Hermione standing next to Draco. She had been overlooked in the clamor for Draco's return.

"What is _she_ doing in here? I sent her away once already!" Narcissa said angrily.

"She's with me. And she's always going to be with me. And if you two don't like it? Well then you can blow it out your ass," Draco said to his parents, who stood there aghast at their son's behavior.

"You're with another woman? What about my daughter?" Astoria's father growled at him menacingly.

"Your daughter is a lying cow. I'm sorry to break it to you, but she tricked me into this marriage. And now it's not happening. You can try and kill me, but Mr. Potter will just come back and arrest you next time. So I suggest you just deal with it," Draco said sternly, finally standing up for himself against all his oppressors. "Now where is Astoria?"

"She's in the bedroom down the left hall. The one with the yellow bedspreads," Narcissa said quietly, pointing the way.

Draco just smiled and took Hermione's hand and marched off down the hallway. They came to the door and before they knocked or opened it up, Draco pressed his ear against the door in hopes of overhearing something more. Something he could use against her. Even if he already had enough ammunition to end this atrocity. But he wanted more. So he listened intently and Hermione just crouched down and pressed her ear next to the door too. They could hear muffled voices.

"Is it almost time for this wedding to happen? I feel like it's running late," Astoria said to one of her chums.

"It _is_ running late. We were supposed to be called out twenty minutes ago. Do you suppose Draco backed out?" the friend asked.

"No way. He knows my father would murder him slowly for getting me pregnant. Believe me, I put the fear of God into him over that."

"I still can't believe you told him that you were pregnant. What were you planning to do when no baby showed up?" the friend wanted to know.

"I was hoping to get pregnant on the honeymoon. But otherwise I was just going to tell him that I lost it. No big deal. He'd already be married to me and it'd be too late," Astoria said with a wicked laugh.

"You're incorrigible!" the friend laughed back.

Draco had heard enough. Not only was she lying, but she was telling all her friends what an idiot he was for believing her. His blood was boiling. So much so, he didn't even knock. He just threw the door open and caught Astoria lounging in a chair in her wedding gown with a glass of champagne in her hand. She quickly put the champagne down and stood up.

"Draco! What on earth are you doing in here? It's bad luck!" she said nervously.

"Bad luck eh? I don't think my luck could get any worse than being betrothed to a shrew like you," he said venomously.

"What?"

"I overheard you talking. About the non-baby. You're a fucking liar. And I also saw you downing the champagne so don't try to tell me you didn't drink it. Would a pregnant woman drink that?" he asked.

"Draco, it's not what it looks like. The healers said it was okay to have one glass. And I don't know what you mean about the non-baby. Of course there's a baby! I don't know what you thought you overheard," she shook her head and tried to play dumb.

Hermione then walked into the room and faced down her nemesis.

"Hello Astoria. Lovely to see you again. Did you know that the window over there is open? And someone who was inclined to snoop might have overheard your entire conversation earlier. You never slept with Draco. And you're not pregnant. The second part, we both just heard you say not one minute ago. We were listening at the door! The jig is up, bitch. Draco isn't your puppet anymore. You lost this one," Hermione said angrily.

"Draco, don't listen to her! She has every reason to lie to you. She wants you for herself!" Astoria stammered and tried to save face.

"Did you not hear her say we both overheard you a minute ago? Are you very brain damaged that you don't remember what you said a minute ago?" Draco shot back at her.

"I don't know what you mean," she denied everything still.

Draco then looked towards her two friends that were sitting there.

"Is Astoria pregnant? Do tell, because I'd like to hear your thoughts on it," he asked them.

"Um, I don't know," one of the girls said.

"I don't know either," the other one said.

Why were they all hell bent on lying? Draco and Hermione had overheard them talking! Did they really think they'd believe these lies?

"Alright, if you're pregnant then let's go to _my_ healer right now. If _my_ healer says you're pregnant, then we'll come back and get married. But if he says you're not, and that worse yet, you're still a virgin, then all bets are off. Do you really want me to drag you to a healer right now? Because I fucking will!" he shouted at her.

"I-I'm not going to another healer. Mine suits me just fine," she said with her nose in the air.

"What did you do huh? Pay him off? Is that why he said you were pregnant? Don't even think about lying to me anymore. I already know the truth!"

Astoria just seethed and stared at Hermione and Draco both. She was livid. How come that trollop was snooping outside her window? What was she even doing at the wedding at all? And Draco? What possessed him to believe that girl and then eavesdrop on her private conversations? They were clearly made for one another. Both of them trash. She just looked at Draco with a hardened expression.

"Fine. I did lie. But I only did it for your own good! You were going to waste your life with this, this, mudblood! And I came along and saved you! My father was going to make you wealthy and powerful in your own right. And you've now ruined it all!" she cried.

" _I_ ruined it all? You're the one who ruined my life. I was doing fine without you! I never wanted your daddy's money or his job. I wanted _my_ life. The one I already had. So don't do me any favors. I'm fine without you," he said heatedly.

"So you're really not going to marry me? I mean, there _could_ be a baby! Soon! I was thinking on our honeymoon it would be a perfect time to conceive. I bet I'm fertile. We could still have the life I dreamed of," she said desperately.

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen. It's the life _you_ dreamed, and not me. Besides, I was never planning to touch you on the honeymoon anyway. So good luck getting pregnant immaculately," he shot back at her.

"What am I supposed to tell my parents?" she asked with genuine tears in her eyes now.

"Tell them you lied to me. Tell them you duped me into thinking I got you pregnant when I never even touched you."

"I can't tell them that! I cannot tell them the truth or they'd be horrified with me," she said aghast.

"Well then tell them I'm in love with someone else. They already know that part anyway because _I_ told them. I just wanted to hear you say it again that you duped me," he said satisfactorily.

"Draco I loved you," she said trying her best to get him back.

But it was no use. He just laughed at her.

"You don't even know what love is."

And with that, he grabbed Hermione's hand and marched out of the bridal room and left Astoria screaming after him, but he ignored her. They both ignored her and just walked back into the foyer of the house intending to go outside. But they were stopped by Draco's parents.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lucius grabbed Draco's arm.

"I'm leaving."

"No you're not. Not until you explain yourself properly. What the hell has been going on here today? First you were arrested, then you come back with this girl on your arm and saying your fiancée is a cow," Lucius said upset with his son.

"I said _lying_ cow. There's a difference. She lied to me about everything. She told me she was pregnant. But I never even touched her! That was the only reason I was marrying her," Draco told his father.

"Pregnant? She's pregnant?" Narcissa asked with confusion.

"No Mum, she's not. She lied to me. That's why I'm leaving," he said. "Oh an I'm in love with Hermione. So there's also that."

"Draco we already talked about this together. It's not love. It's lust. And you'll grow out of it," Lucius assured his son.

"No Father, it _is_ love. I've loved her for a long time. So much longer than either of us would admit. But I'm never losing her again," he said looking at Hermione who was beaming that he'd tell his parents about them like this.

"Draco don't do this," Lucius warned him.

"Too late. It's done. And we're leaving now."

And with that, he took Hermione's hand and waltzed out the front door. People were everywhere outside and wondered what was going on. Some people heard that Draco had been arrested and other people heard he ran off with another girl. No one knew what to believe, but when they saw Draco emerge from the house with Hermione on his arm, they figured it was the latter.

"Wait, before we go, there's something I wanna do," he said with an evil little smirk on his face.

"What's that?" Hermione asked laughing at him.

"Just come with me," he said pulling her along with him.

They were almost running towards the wedding tent and people were taking pictures and some of them were press photographers but neither one of them cared. They just kept going until Draco found the wedding cake. It was four tiers and incredibly gorgeous. He snatched off the little bride and groom people and threw them on the ground. Then he took off the top layer of the cake and handed it to Hermione. She didn't know what he was doing, but she held the cake and watched as he tipped the table over and smashed the rest of the cake to bits. Then he grabbed a bottle of champagne off the table and put his arm around Hermione. To the onlookers he just waved and smiled and posed for a picture that some reporter was taking. Then he and Hermione walked to the gates and took one last look at the land.

"I wager I'm saying goodbye to this forever. Good riddance eh?" he said with a wistful sigh.

"Maybe? Maybe they'll forgive you?" she offered, still holding the top layer of the wedding cake.

"I reckon I'll find out eventually. But for now? My place, shall we? I wanna eat that cake," he smiled at her.

"Your place it is," she smiled back.

And they disappeared from Malfoy Manor possibly to never return again. Draco was okay with that now. He had to be. Any life that wasn't on his terms, wasn't a life he wanted to lead. Not anymore. And not ever really. But he'd seen just how bad it could get and he'd rather be poor and disowned than to live like he was living. It was torturous. But he was a free man now. No one could tell him what to do. And he couldn't be happier.

 **To be continued…. Thanks for all the reviews! I love them. So keep them coming! It helps me write even faster…. One more chapter to go! Thank you all for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters here. I just use them for my own amusement. JK Rowling and co. own them No copyright infringement intended.

 **Summary:** When two old enemies meet up again, will they be able to look past their differences and get along? What happens if they fall for each other but he's slated to marry someone else? Will he follow his heart or his parents' wishes? Dramione.

 **Author's note:** Lyrics by Goo Goo Dolls

 **Wildest Dreams**

 _And I'd give up forever to touch you  
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
And I don't want to go home right now_

 _And all I can taste is this moment  
And all I can breathe is your life  
And sooner or later it's over  
I just don't wanna miss you tonight_

 _And I don't want the world to see me  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
When everything's meant to be broken  
I just want you to know who I am_

Draco and Hermione went back to his place with the cake and the champagne and they sat cross legged at his coffee table and dug into the cake with two forks. Draco poured the champagne and they sat and drank that while feeding each other bites of cake.

"You know this is really good. Is this strawberry filling?" she asked with a mouthful of dessert.

"I think so. It's a shame I smashed the rest of it," he laughed slightly.

"Did you see the looks on everyone's faces when you did that? You do realize this scandal is going to make the papers. You even posed for a picture with me!" she giggled.

"So what? Let it make the papers. At least then no one can say Draco Malfoy is a ponce who does everything his daddy asks him to do. For once I actually stood up to everyone. It felt good," He grinned at her.

"I bet it did feel good. Are you worried what's gonna happen next?" she asked taking a sip of her champagne.

"No, not really. I mean, my house is paid for. I own it now. And everything else? It's just window dressing. I have a job. A shitty one, but it's still work. I'll get by. We just might have to eat a lot less fancy dinners and more kabobs from the stand on the corner by work," he chuckled.

"I like kabobs. And you know I never cared about your money before," she assured him.

"I know you never did. But I did. I really cared a lot. But now I see how much worse life could be and money couldn't fix it. So I'd rather be my own man and be penniless than to live under someone else's rules."

"I kept trying to tell you that, but you didn't listen to me."

"I'm listening now. I'm all ears. I can't believe how close I came to actually throwing my whole life away. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't of shown up," he admitted.

"I wasn't planning to come, but then I just had to see you one last time as a free man. It was kind of silly. But now I'm incredibly glad I did it! When I was snooping around the house, I was actually looking for you. Not Astoria. But I stumbled onto gold. You should have seen me when your mum wouldn't let me talk to you! I had to climb a bloody tree to get reception on my phone! I must have looked like a loon," she laughed.

"You climbed up a tree?" he chuckled. "You really were desperate weren't you?"

"Of course I was! I had very important information and I had to think of some way to get to you. Cue me asking Harry to arrest you," she said trying not to laugh again.

"He really shocked the shit out of me when he burst into my room with fucking handcuffs! I was like, can my life get any worse? Then I realized maybe Azkaban was better than Astoria. But not by much."

"I'm sorry I scared you into thinking you were going to prison. But it worked! They let Harry in. I didn't know how else to get inside the house."

"You know, you look really pretty today, by the way. I never got a chance to tell you how I liked your dress," he smiled at her as he fed her more wedding cake.

"Why thank you. You look amazing yourself. The tux is a good look for you," she said sincerely.

"It's not very comfortable though. Maybe I should take it off? Or maybe you should take it off for me?" he said suggestively.

"Hmm, are you trying to imply something naughty, Mr. Malfoy?" she teased him playfully.

"I might be. God woman, I've waited long enough, don't you think?" he said with a lusty look.

"Hey, it was you who wanted to wait. I thought your penis was broken or something," she informed him.

"Broken? Hardly. It works just fine. I just was too wracked with guilt before. But now I know I didn't do anything wrong. I'm not tainted in some way. So let's get naked!"

"But I'm a virgin, Draco. I can't possibly do that until you marry me," she said mocking Astoria.

He just shook his head and smiled at her.

"Well I won't tell your daddy what a naughty girl you are."

"I can't keep this up. It's too ridiculous. Let's go to your room," she said hurriedly taking his hand.

He helped her up and they started kissing immediately. They had waited a very long time for this moment, and nothing was going to ruin it now. She ripped off his tux jacket and threw it aside. Then she undid his tie and tossed it in the air. He just unzipped her dress and it fell to the floor. They barely made it up the stairs, leaving a trail of clothes in their wake. They were soon divested of all their clothes and fell onto the bed together. Their passion was all overwhelming and amazing and neither one of them had ever felt this way about someone before. It was more than just sex, but their all-consuming love for each other. They were finally taking things to the level they'd wanted to take them for all along. Once they were spent, they both lay there wrapped up in the sheets, a tangled mess of limbs, breathing heavily.

"Oh my God," Hermione said breathlessly. "I can't feel my legs."

"I can't feel my anything right now. Bloody hell. That was fucking fantastic," he breathed heavily into her ear as he collapsed on top of her.

"Why did we wait so long to do this?" she wondered feverishly.

"Because I'm a moron. That's why. I still can't believe I put you off for all that time. Now I know what I was missing," he laughed slightly.

"You're not a moron. You just didn't know any better than what you'd been told. For what it's worth, I appreciate that you respected me enough not to get me in bed when you thought you'd slept with someone else," she admitted softly.

"I couldn't do that to you. It felt dishonest. It _was_ dishonest. And I'm so sorry it was that way," he apologized.

"Don't worry about it. We know now the truth. And nothing is ever going to keep us from each other now," she said, smoothing his messy hair out of his eyes.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

And with that, he rolled off of her and grabbed her up close to him. They snuggled under the covers and just relished the feel of each other's bodies pressed against one another.

"I could get used to this," she sighed contentedly.

"Me too," he agreed. "Hey, you wanna go on my honeymoon with me? It's already paid for."

"Your honeymoon?"

"Yeah. We're going to Paris. It's gonna be romantic. If you don't go with me, I'm afraid I'll have to take my hand. And he's not nearly as fun to kiss under the Eiffel Tower," he joked.

"So you're really still going on the honeymoon?" she wondered curiously.

"I was planning to. I could use a fucking vacation, God only knows. I paid for it, so why shouldn't I go?"

"Do you really want me to come with you?"

"Of course! Can you? We leave on Monday."

"I didn't put in for any time off from work," she said with a scrunched up face.

"So? Just call in sick," he urged her.

"For an entire week?" she laughed.

"Why not?"

"I guess I could. I never take time off," she pondered.

"Come with me. You know you want to! I was dreading this holiday, but if you're with me, everything would be perfect," he smiled down at her.

"Okay. I'll do it. It's crazy, but I'll do it!" she laughed and kissed him full on the mouth.

"Hmm, I should invite you on honeymoons more often, if it makes you kiss me like that," he joked.

"Were you really not planning to touch Astoria on your honeymoon?" she asked suddenly.

"What? No, of course not. I even booked a room with two beds. Which I'll try and remedy once we get there. But I don't know how soon my money is gonna run out. Normally I'd just bribe my way to a better room," he sighed softly.

"You still don't know if your parents will disown you for real yet. They didn't say anything," she reminded him.

"I didn't give them a chance to say anything. I'm assuming that I upset everyone involved by running out on that very expensive wedding. They'll probably make me pay them back."

"Nah, you had a good reason for running out! She lied to you. Her parents should pay for that and make _her_ pay _them_ back instead."

"If only that were how it worked. But we'll see. I have enough saved up for the trip and for about a month or so, if I don't go crazy. It's hidden in a separate account that no one can get to except me. But the bulk of my trust fund is up for grabs, I'm afraid."

"Well you'll get by. And you don't even know yet what's going to happen. It might be better than you feared," she said hopefully.

"Yeah, maybe? But either way, it's worth it to me to lose everything if it means I have you," he said kissing the top of her head.

They both just lay there together, lost in the moment for a long time. But they both started getting sleepy and neither one of them wanted to fall asleep yet. So they got themselves up and Hermione put on one of Draco's t-shirts and he pulled on his boxers and they went back downstairs to finish the cake and champagne feast they'd started. They had some wonderful conversation and were both laughing by the end of it. They decided to turn on the telly and sit cuddled on the couch together watching another episode of the X-Files. It was their show. And this time they didn't have to rob from the show to use metaphors for how they felt.

"Mulder loves Scully so much. It's wicked obvious," she said looking over at him.

"It _is_ wicked obvious isn't it? Especially when they've just shagged their brains out," he laughed.

"When do they do that on the show? Because I'm ready to see it!" she cried.

"I don't know. But I bet they do. Soon. I mean, how long can they really hold off?" he wondered.

"Not forever. Although some would say it took way too long for them to admit their feelings," she said to him.

"I think Mulder just had to be sure what he was doing before he said anything."

"Scully had to be sure too."

"I'm pretty sure they know now," he said giving her a kiss.

"This Scully is pretty content, but I don't know about the one on the screen," she smiled at him.

"You're the only Scully I care about," he beamed at her.

They started kissing again and soon forgot about their show and got lost in each other again. They went at it right on the couch and didn't really need a bed to express their feelings. When they were spent again, they noted it was really late.

"Should we try and sleep now?" she wondered after she caught her breath.

"I don't want to sleep because then I won't be with you," he whispered softly.

"Yes, you will. I'll be right next to you. Under your arm. I'm not going anywhere," she promised him.

"Hmm, I just feel like we have so much lost time to make up for," he admitted.

"Me too."

"Let's just stay awake and cuddle a little while longer," he said holding her tightly.

They did just that until they could barely keep their eyes open. Then they went upstairs again and climbed into bed. They just lay there, talking and giggling like two school children, even if nothing they said was particularly funny. They were just so relieved to be with each other. They kept telling each other what they were thinking during this whole ordeal and somehow it now struck them as funny. Mostly because all their angst had been for nothing. When the birds started chirping outside the window, they realized it was almost 6am. They'd stayed awake the entire night just talking to each other and nothing felt more perfect to them. Draco heard the owl come to his window with his copy of the Daily Prophet. He forced himself to get up and grab it, even though he was so tired he could barely move. But he gave the owl a treat and sent it on its way with the money he owed it. Then he looked at the front page.

There was a picture of him and Hermione standing there with part of his wedding cake in her hands. They looked cozy and the headline read, "Runaway Groom—Draco Malfoy leaves his fiancée at the altar for another woman!" He just sighed and handed it to Hermione.

"Here. This is the front page. It's us."

She looked at it and started laughing.

"Oh my God, my hair looks terrible!" she noted.

"Your hair looks fine! Read the article. I can't bear to read it," he said sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Okay."

She perused the article and looked worried for a while until she got to towards the end. Then she grabbed Draco's arm to get his attention.

"Listen to this!" she said excitedly. Then she read part of the article to him. "Draco Malfoy's parents were questioned about their son's hasty departure from his own wedding and they had this to say. ' _Our son was coerced into this marriage with falsehoods and fantasy. He was duped into the marriage and simply did what any man would do upon learning his fiancée was a liar. We fully support our son's actions and are thrilled to welcome Ms. Granger to our fold.'_ "

Draco grabbed the paper out of her hands and couldn't believe what she'd just read to him.

"That can't be right…"

"It is! I just read it. Your father is quoted right there," she pointed at the page.

He scanned it and broke out into a smile. Wonders would never cease. He wasn't disowned after all. His parents welcomed Hermione? What were they smoking when they gave that interview, he wondered. But he was just thrilled beyond belief. He never wanted to lose his family, but it was a necessary evil. But now his father was publicly welcoming Hermione into their lives. He didn't even know what to do with himself, he was so happy.

"My father was on my side. After all that, he was actually on my side," Draco said in disbelief.

"I knew they might change their minds! They seem kind of evil, but they have a heart sometimes," she said nodding her head.

"I didn't know they had a heart. They certainly never showed it to me before! But this is amazing. I get to keep you and my family and my money? It's Christmas!" he laughed as he tossed the paper to the bed and kissed Hermione happily.

She just laughed into his kiss and hugged him tightly. This was just the kind of news they needed to hear. It made everything complete. Except for one thing, Draco thought. There was one more thing he wanted. He looked at Hermione and held her hands.

"Hermione Granger, will you marry me?" he asked with a grin.

She was taken aback momentarily, but she just smiled as wide as she could.

"Why yes, Draco Malfoy, I will marry you," she answered.

And with that they kissed and kissed and kissed until they exhausted themselves and finally fell asleep. Both dreaming of a perfect life in which they were together. Happily. Forever. And this time they knew that dreams really did come true.

 **The End.**

 **Thanks for all the reviews! I love them. So keep them coming! I hope you all liked this story. I know I put you through hell but it had a happy ending! Please leave comments! Thank you!**


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